– I can walk 0 meters when I’m in bad shape and from 0-500 if I’m in great shape. But I’m not like that every day, so to speak, says Gry Hege Henriksen (51). A few years ago, she was granted a HC card for parking in Oslo. When she recently had to apply again, she was rejected. Gry Hege Henriksen has had prostheses on her legs and hands after pneumonia in 2016. She ended up in hospital, and was in a coma for four weeks. When she woke up, she was told that her hands and legs had to be amputated. She spent a long time training at Sunnaa’s hospital. How far she can move with prostheses depends on the day’s form. – I think it seems very random who gets such a permit and who doesn’t. There is probably a system for that, but I don’t understand it now. Getting around is one challenge, parking another. Needs space In normal car parks and in car parks it can be cramped between cars. When the 51-year-old gets in and out of her car, she needs space. This is one of the reasons why she has applied for disabled parking. She has to open the car door half-wide before she sits down in the seat, lifts her legs and swings in behind the wheel. – Like others, I cannot stand on one foot. Since I have a prosthesis, it is not possible for my balance to sneak in on one foot. Henriksen cannot bend the ankle joint. The prostheses are rigid. When she gets out of the car, she needs a little less space. It was Nettavisen that mentioned the case first. It happens that Gry Hege Henriksen gets out of the car, but does not get back in. Photo: Siv Johanne Seglem / news Consequences in everyday life Henriksen constantly has to think about where she can park. She has to think about whether there is a parking space, whether she can get out of the car, and not least whether she can get back in. Sometimes she gets out of the car, but doesn’t get back in. – Several times I have had to wait for someone to come to the car next to me because I am not allowed to get into my own car. The problem would have been solved with a handicap space. They are wider than normal parking spaces. Two conditions must be met The Urban Environment Agency says they cannot comment on individual cases, but says in general that applicants must meet two conditions. Impaired walking ability Particular need for parking facilities Head of the legal department in the City Environment Agency, Susanne Lyng, writes in an e-mail to news: First, it is assessed whether the applicant has an impaired walking ability. An overall assessment is then made of whether the applicant has a particular need for parking facilities, and whether a parking permit will solve the problem at the places the applicant has stated as places she needs a parking permit. In order to fulfill the condition of reduced ability to walk, the starting point is that you cannot walk, or have great difficulty walking only a few metres. This is assessed by a doctor, and not the City Environment Agency. Gry Hege Henriksen’s doctor has recommended that she get a HC card. Read also: Mirnesa never knows if she will get her guide dog in a taxi: – It makes me dread – Can shop at other times In the application, Henriksen wrote that she needed HC parking at school, shops and to carry out her work. In the refusal, the City Environment Agency writes that the need for HC parking in connection with the action is not given much weight. They point out that there are many alternatives and that it is also possible to schedule the shopping round at a time of day with less traffic. That causes Gry Hege Henriksen to react. – Why should I, as a disabled person, find myself unable to shop on the way home from work, but perhaps instead have to take time off from work or go out shopping in the evening. She has not decided whether to file a complaint. Gry Hege Henriksen (51) had to have both legs and arms amputated after she got blood poisoning in 2016. Photo: SIV JOHANNE SEGLEM / news
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Gry Hege is missing arms and legs – was refused disabled parking – news Oslo og Viken – Local news, TV and radio
