Welcome to 2024! We’re rounding up our top 10 most popular blog posts from 2023 about living with disability. These are top 10 according to you, our readers. Above all of the 100+ articles we published last year, these had the most searches and most reads across the 12 months.

So, they must be ones that are the most important to this community. That’s why we’re rounding them up here in one article.

Scroll down to read about travelling with your disability parking permit, accessible parking, Guinness World Records, invisible disabilities and more. Take a look.

#1 most popular blog post: displaying a permit

No matter what time of the year it is, how we display disability parking permits is absolutely crucial to using our allocated spaces properly and not being fined. It’s no wonder then, that our number one performing blog post is all about how to display permits across states and territories.

Ultimately, the answer varies according to what type of disability parking permit you have and which state or territory you’re in. Also keep in mind your local council or authority might have specific regulations that can change from time to time. This is why we’ve rounded up contact details for each state’s road authority in our top performing blog post.

Read all about displaying a disability parking permit by state.

#2 senior/pram parking when living with disability

Again! Parking is clearly something we deal with on an ongoing basis, for better or for worse. And as anyone with a disability parking permit, pram or seniority knows, there’s simply never enough priority parking.

If you routinely find the accessible parking bays full but pram and seniors parking available, what should you do? At number two of our most popular blog posts we explain what you’re legally entitled to do when faced with such a predicament. We outline who can use each of these parking spots, and when.

Read the full article on who can park in seniors parking and pram parking.

#3 most popular blog post explains Parkinson’s disease

Parkinson’s disease is something many Australians live with or experience via a loved one. In Australia alone, more than 200,000 people live with this invisible disability. Yet, many of the details of this condition remain shrouded in the unknown and are still being researched.

Because of this, many of the facts often aren’t understood either. That’s why our third article in our top performing blog posts on living with disability is about sharing facts and dispelling myths associated with Parkinson’s.

We look at symptoms, management and share first-hand accounts from celebrities like Billy Connolly, Linda Ronstadt and Michael J Fox.

#4 using your parking permit in another state

Can use your disability parking permit in another state? A great question, making this our number four top performing blog post for 2023. If you’re living with disability and need to travel, then your parking permit is essential to finding and using accessible parking.

In our article we answer this question and share some additional rules. Each state and territory has its own flexibility and additional concessions, so it’s essential to be aware of local regulations. We also share how to get a temporary parking permit for driving with disability if you’re travelling in New Zealand.

#5 pension support for living with disability

Australia’s disability support pension is a crucial financial aid for people with permanent physical, intellectual or psychiatric conditions that prevent them from working. Although advocacy groups express concerns about the complex application process and high eligibility requirements, the pension offers a stable income to those who qualify.

In our article, we clarify the difference between the disability support pension and the National Disability Insurance Service (NDIS). We also look at how eligibility for one doesn’t disqualify you from the other.

Read the full disability support pension article for more on claiming and for checking eligibility before starting the application process.

#6 most popular blog post explores Neuralink

At sixth place in our most popular blog posts, we take a look at the Neuralink chip, created by Elon Musk’s Neuralink startup. Recently the chip received US FDA approval for human trials.

This entails planting the chip in the human brain to enable the person to operate devices using their neural activity. The hope is that this chip will eventually be able to help cure paralysis, blindness and mental illness.

Find out how Musk envisions the chip connecting the brain to technology to restoring neural activity in damaged areas of the brain. Read the full article on the Neuralink chip to find out more about how it’s being trialled.

#7 of our most popular blog posts: permit renewal

As we already know from several of our most popular blog posts, disability parking is something many of us read about and need more information on. This article takes a comprehensive look at how to renew disability parking permits in Australia.

We go into more detail on what’s needed by state and territory, including documents you’ll need, timelines for renewal notices and more. Read the full article on how to renew your disability parking permit in Australia.

#8 living with PTSD, an invisible disability

PTSD – short for post traumatic stress disorder – is quite a common invisible disability. That’s because many people suffer from traumatic events that take lots of time and effort to process. In that time, the effects can take the form of a stress disorder.

In our eighth most popular blog post, we take a holistic look at PTSD. We explore some of the causes, who’s more likely to experience it (often due to profession) and ways to help. Read the full article that explains in great detail what PTSD is, along with symptoms and more.

#9 wheelchair transfers for ease of travel

Our ninth most popular blog post explores making transferring from your wheelchair to your car as smooth as possible. For those living with physical disability, wheelchair transfers can be well supported with the right portable and mechanical transfer options.

In this article, we outline some of the best wheelchair transfer tools and look at cars that support transferring. We also explore searching and trialling the right supportive equipment with the assistance of an occupational therapist.

Find out more in the full article on transferring from your wheelchair to your car.

#10 most popular blog post reveals a scooter record

The final article on our list of most popular Blue Badge Insurance blog posts from 2023 explores Australia’s 2022 attempted world record for the most mobility scooters in a single convoy.

In 2009, Australia won the Guinness World Record for the largest mobility scooter convoy. Then Canada snatched the accolade in 2012 and we’ve been attempting to get it back ever since.

In 2022, Australia gathered 144 riders on the Fraser Coast and we were only 16 riders short of breaking the record. Take a look at scenes from the day to motivate you for the next time we try for the record. Although the scooter record attempt fell short, you never know if the next attempt will be the won to secure us that award!

Consider insurance for your mobility equipment

Now we’ve wrapped up our top 10 most popular blog posts from 2023 on living with disability, let’s look at safeguarding the mobility equipment that supports life with disability.

As Australia’s first disability and independence insurance specialist, Blue Badge writes about all things disability because we’re an insurance provider for specialist disability mobility equipment and vehicles. This includes your wheelchair, car, mobility scooter and certain other mobility aids you use at home or drive with.

Our wheelchair insurance and mobility scooter insurance helps pay for repairs on all kinds of unexpected accidental damage. It also helps to pay for a total replacement if your wheelchair or scooter is written off completely or stolen. Our disability car insurance gives you the same financial protection if your car is damaged, written off or stolen. Learn about getting up to 25% off car insurance for wheelchair accessible vehicles and disability converted cars with your disability parking permit.

Click below if you’d like to find out more about how much insurance will cost you.