Disabled people need viable, long-term, affordable housing | #ForAccessibleHomes News

Our Insight Group member Chris Hicken has lived in his Habinteg wheelchair user home for 24 years.  He shares it with Janet, his wife of 47 years and Whiskey their untrained, non-assistance dog. Below he gives us an insight into what effect living in a wheelchair user home has had on his quality of life, and the struggles a disabled person faces when searching for suitable long-term housing.

My primary disability was caused by injury in 1986.

A hill walking accident caused irreparable damage to my left leg and I had to wear a full length brace from my toes to the middle of my thigh for around two years. Climbing stairs became almost impossible, as did using a manual wheelchair in a house not designed for such use.

Move to Habinteg home

In September 1999, my wife and I moved into a three bedroom Habinteg accessible & adaptable bungalow.  The change this made to my life was instantaneous.

Level access meant that I didn’t have to keep lifting my wheelchair over the step into the hallway, and even the garage was accessible, so no more getting rained on when bringing shopping from the car.  Also, a friend of mine, who is a wheelchair user, could visit without any problems.

Over time, changes in my health saw me move from a manual wheelchair to a powerchair. Thanks to being in an accessible property, the changes I had to make to my mobility needs were very minimal.

Disabled by social barriers

I consider myself to be very blessed to live where I do. One of my friends who recently became dependant on a wheelchair has owned his house for over 20 years. He is finding it impossible to get the help he needs to alter his property.

When he approached his mortgage company for help, he was turned down. He was told that he should’ve thought about the potential of becoming disabled before buying his house.

That mindset isn’t helping disabled people get what they need, and it makes them feel unvalued. Sadly, that’s how my friend feels.

Long-term housing security

If a family doesn’t make adaptations to their home, then fine. However, for the family who need to make changes to their property, they need assurance that their house isn’t going to become a prison cell, either because no accessible homes are available or because they can’t afford the costs of adaptations.

Living in an accessible and adaptable bungalow means that I don’t need to worry about what might happen in the future. My wife also has this reassurance.

When I began searching for such a home in 1986, our three children were still living at home and were in local schools.

Due to the shortage of sufficient accommodation, I was presented with an ugly housing prospect – I’d be given a one bed bungalow whilst my wife and children were offered separate accommodation.

We were threatened with two lots of rent, plus utilities, and insurance amongst other things! Such a short-term solution would no doubt have been a long-term disaster.

Disabled people and their families don’t want short-term fixes, they want long-term viable and affordable housing solutions.