A university employee with agoraphobia, who was required to attend campus only four days a year, alleged she had been discriminated against after being refused a parking space.
Amanda Barrow sought to reserve a space at Leeds Beckett University in 2024, almost four years after her parking permit had lapsed, but was initially turned down because the car park was already at capacity.
The university later provided her with a space once she made clear the request was connected to her disability, but she continued to complain, saying it was not “unreasonable for her to have on-site parking for the odd event”.
Ms Barrow had relied on “ad hoc parking arrangements” from 2020 and, in April 2023, was reminded she could apply for an annual pass, though she decided not to submit an application.
She maintained that access to parking was necessary because of her agoraphobia, an anxiety disorder in which people can fear leaving places or situations they regard as safe.
The university employs more than 2,500 staff and provides an ‘occupational health need’ permit specifically for conditions such as these.
Ms Barrow admitted that she never tried to renew the pass and when the university suggested she get a blue badge, she said she ‘did not need it for anything else’.
Leeds Beckett had tried to make adjustments for her, including letting her book twice as far in advance as other staff members.
But after quitting her job she claimed at an employment tribunal in Sheffield that she was a victim of indirect disability discrimination and the university had failed to make reasonable adjustments.
Amanda Barrow accused Leeds Beckett University of disability discrimination after her parking privileges were removed
Ms Barrow began working at Leeds Polytechnic – now Leeds Beckett University – in 1984 where she was employed as a learning technologist.
Since 2013, Ms Barrow ‘worked mostly from home’ and would have a call with occupational health every year to check if she still needed the parking spot.
Spaces cost 1 per cent of a worker’s annual salary, while blue badge holders are able to park there for free.
However, following the Covid pandemic in 2020 workers in her role were expected to attend campus just four or five times a year.
In March 2020, Ms Barrow’s ‘last annual on-campus parking permit expired’ and she never applied to renew it, according to a tribunal judgment.
It was not until more than three years later in 2023 that she next requested a parking space, which she did with a week’s notice in line with an ad hoc arrangement to secure staff parking.
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That request was granted – but a year later she was required to attend a seminar at the university. This time her parking request was denied due to the car park already being fully booked.
Ms Barrow replied saying it was for her disability and a parking space was arranged for her on a one-time basis.
After being granted the space, Ms Barrow complained: ‘When I worked on-site, I had a permanent parking place organised by OH [occupational health] for 36 years without a break.
‘Now I work at home I need a parking space occasionally. However, you have made it clear in your email that this is not to be the case.
‘It is of some concern to me that people without disability have priority over those that do.
‘I don’t need a blue badge for anything else and as I said, I have had onsite parking for 36 years without a break until Covid.
‘I’m sorry but I don’t think it’s unreasonable for me to have onsite parking for the odd event, when I used to take up a place full time.’
A manager promised to look into her situation and in the meantime assured her she could book parking two weeks in advance – a week more than most people – so she should always be able to get parking.
However Ms Barrow went on sick leave in May 2024 and then quit her job.
At the tribunal, her claims were dismissed and she was ordered to pay back £20,000 in costs.
Employment judge Andrew James said: ‘[Ms Barrow] retained the option of applying for an annual pass; she was reminded of that in April 2023. She declined to make an application. Had she done so, the matters which gave rise to these allegations may well never have arisen.
‘Requiring claimants with disability issues to make an annual application was a reasonable requirement, given the demand for car parking spaces.
‘After March 2020, [Ms Barrow] chose to rely on ad hoc parking arrangements, in relation to which no problems were experienced until one occasion in April 2024.
‘[Ms Barrow] was able to apply for an annual pass as an alternative, something which she was reminded about in April 2023, but chose not to do so, presumably because the ad hoc arrangements were working perfectly fine for her.
‘Allowing [Ms Barrow] to apply two weeks in advance meant it was even more likely that in future, the ad hoc arrangements would continue to be sufficient.’