In 2018, at the age of 56, Kim Smith became seriously ill with sepsis, which resulted in the loss of her hands and legs. Over the past eight years, Kim has been campaigning for disability and sepsis awareness, and she has joined the fight for more accessible homes, sparked by her own housing story. Kim is on a council waiting list for a wheelchair accessible home in Milton Keynes, ‘making do’ in a home that is not suitable for her needs.

Below, she reveals the barriers she faces living in an inaccessible home and why the lack of accessible housing is an issue that everyone should be concerned about.

I’ve been waiting three years for a wheelchair-accessible home. I live in a bungalow that’s built for older people, not for wheelchair use. A housing occupational therapist assessment has confirmed it’s not wheelchair accessible, yet I’m still waiting for a suitable home.

It’s a battle I keep fighting…I’ve even tried to organise a mutual home swap with another housing association tenant, but I’ve had no luck so far.

The meaning of accessible housing

There are currently 400,000 wheelchair users in England ‘making do’ in unsuitable homes, like me, because there are so few accessible homes.

I really struggle in my home. I’m unable to use the toilet independently because there’s no room for my wheelchair. The doorways aren’t wide enough, and my kitchen is too small to turn my wheelchair. I can only fully access half my home independently.

It’s just so hard, frustrating, stressful and so wrong that disabled people must exist like this, struggling to do everyday things in our homes, instead of living our lives like everyone else.
When I was housed in my home, as a person with a newly acquired disability, I had no understanding of wheelchair accessible design.

I thought that wheelchair accessibility just meant level access, but it’s about moveability within living spaces. As I’ve struggled in my home, I’ve become aware of what an accessible home really means.

Pushing for change in accessible housing

I want to do anything I can to get the Government to raise the accessibility level for all new-build homes so they are built to the accessible and adaptable standard, and to increase the number of wheelchair accessible homes being built, particularly bungalows, which will not only help disabled people but also older people.

This is why, in the past year, I joined Habinteg’s Insight Group, which is made up of disabled campaigners helping to push accessible housing further up the political agenda.

As part of its housing plans, the Government is planning to develop “the next generation of new towns“, which will include tens of thousands of homes. This is a great opportunity to create inclusive communities, yet there is no mention of accessible housing in the project details so far.

I believe it’s wrong and short-sighted not to consider accessibility when it comes to forming new towns. It would be like saying that disabled and older people don’t exist or don’t matter.

The Government says it wants its new towns to be “well-designed, and sustainable places”, so it needs to include housing that is future-proofed for our ageing population and the growing number of disabled people.

Living in a home that’s suitable for your needs means greater independence and the opportunity to contribute to the economy through employment. It also reduces costs (page 11) for home-based support and delays the need for more expensive care options such as residential care homes.

Get involved in the accessible home campaign

The situation is urgent because we have many people living in unsuitable homes with more joining housing waiting lists every day. Any homes developed now must be the right ones to avoid a bigger housing crisis further down the line.

This is an issue that affects everyone, and I believe more people should take a stand and email their MPs and ask them to talk about it in parliament, post about it on social media and join campaigning groups like Habinteg’s Insight Group, who are working hard to push for change. The more coverage there is on this issue, the more it will get noticed, and something will have to be done.

I want MPs to realise that disabled people living in unsuitable homes are just existing, not living. The physical barriers that unsuitable housing creates mean that we need extra support that probably wouldn’t be necessary in an accessible home. Such a home offers independence, choices and a full life.

You can follow Kim Smith on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and TikTok.

Have you faced similar challenges finding an accessible home? Let us know your experiences in the comments box, on social media or contact us to share your personal story.

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