300,000 disabled people waiting for housing living in unsuitable homes
Trust me – this is a big issue in rural England and is often below the radar. The article tells us:
About 300,000 disabled people are stuck on housing waiting lists across the UK, forced to make do in accommodation that does not meet their needs, according to a charity report.
In No Place Like Home, published on Monday, Leonard Cheshire Disability accused the government and housing developers of failing disabled people.
The charity wants the government to make housing developers build all new homes so they are easy to adapt (so-called “lifetime homes”) if a resident was to become disabled, and for 10% of large developments to be fully wheelchair accessible so that disabled people can live independently and pursue job opportunities across the country.
Chief executive Clare Pelham said: “While most of us will spend Christmas day visiting friends and family and sharing food with our loved ones, thousands of disabled people will be unable to get in the door to visit the people they love. Even worse, many face the reality of having to wash in the same kitchen sinks where they peel their brussel sprouts because they can’t get upstairs to their bathrooms, or having to use commodes in the same dining rooms where they ate their Christmas lunch.