In Western cultures particularly, moving away from home has traditionally been considered a crucial step in becoming an independent adult but this milestone event is no longer the standard expectation.

Unfortunately, the cost of living crisis, record high rents, a shortage of affordable homes and global events such as the Pandemic and impact of long covid has interrupted this ‘moving out’ practice for many young adults.

Now, let’s consider what this changing time looks like if you’re a young adult that suddenly or maybe gradually over time is living with impaired mobility and is experiencing a serious lack of accessible, adapted accommodation.

You could now be stuck in a house that’s confining you to potentially one or two rooms and need to be carried upstairs or have to go to the toilet with the door open.

A lack of dignity, helplessness and a feeling of isolation severely impact your quality of life.

You search for accessible, affordable accommodation for many months but can’t find anything suitable for your needs and maybe your parents are getting older- possibly struggling with their health too, making you acutely aware that they’re not going to be able to care for you much longer.

This scenario is a fast growing situation for many young adults with impaired mobility.

And while most parents will do what it takes to provide room for their young adult in this position, that young adult craves a life with more independence-as we all do.

A serious concern

“Too many young disabled people have to put the rest of their lives on hold as they wait years for accessible homes,” says Mikey Erhardt, campaigns and policy officer at Disability Rights “The situation is only getting worse, with the high cost of rents making it less likely that young disabled people can afford to move out, let alone into an accessible home”.

It’s a Family Affair

So, as we live through the housing challenges that are constantly shifting, it is now more important than ever to ensure that everyone’s current and future needs can be met.

For instance, in most cases, a young person with a disability is likely to remain in the family home with their family.

Equally, older parents with mobility impairment usually want to manage this while remaining in their own home, so it’s essential to design a home that can be shared by everyone so that nobody feels excluded.

Future proof design

Where possible creating spacious, accessible and sociable family areas within the home, enables families to cook, eat and spend time together.

Separate rooms for parents, a mobility impaired adult and siblings to spend time alone creates a space for privacy, or a place to entertain friends away from the main areas of the home.

As well as adaptations within the home, it is important to consider changes that can be made to the exterior parts of the property to create a safe environment and increase the level of freedom-especially for the mobility impaired.

Independence

By encouraging and facilitating independent living, parents may find that there is less reliance on them to provide the majority of care for their young adult, which in turn reduces the pressures on them.

As well as sourcing adapted properties for individuals and couples, Relevant Spaces also recognizes the growing group of multi generational families that often include a mobility impaired family member.

Therefore, we strive to design well-adapted homes that will today, have a huge positive impact on the whole family improving wellbeing, confidence and at the same time creating  future-proof spaces that will continue to be useful tomorrow.

When assumptions are made about the life of people with mobility impairment and others see only limitations, we here at Relevant Spaces absolutely love learning about how perceived obstacles are turned into opportunities.

It’s in times of adversity that great ideas and solutions are found.

London School of Economics

The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) studies the social sciences in their broadest sense, with an academic profile spanning a wide range of disciplines, from economics,

politics and law, to sociology, information systems and accounting and finance.

The School has an outstanding reputation for academic excellence and is one of the most international universities in the world. Its study of social, economic and political problems focuses on the different perspectives and experiences of most countries. From its foundation LSE has aimed to be a laboratory of the social sciences, a place where ideas are developed, analysed, evaluated and disseminated around the globe.

Ipsos MORI is the second largest market research organisation in the United Kingdom, formed by a merger of Ipsos UK and MORI, two of Britain’s leading survey companies, in October 2005.

Ipsos MORI conduct surveys for a wide range of major organisations as well as other market research agencies.

Needs for accessible housing

Of households in England that include a disabled adult at least 1.8 million have an identified need for accessible housing, of whom 580,000 are working age.

At least 1 in 6 households that need accessible homes do not currently have all the accessibility features they need – equating to 300,000 households, including 140,000 of working age. This means that working age households are less likely to have the features they need than older households.

The hidden market in numbers

One million households that have a need for accessible housing are already owner-occupiers and of these some 230,000 are of working age.

Significant numbers of people with needs for accessible features also have the means to consider the purchase of a home.

Amongst households with an identified need for accessible housing,

39% (700,000) have incomes in the top half of the income distribution of the population as a whole. In addition, 55% of owner occupiers living in a

household including a disabled person and 33% of working age households containing a disabled person have incomes above this level.

However, there is already a shortage of accessible housing in the UK and time after time house building targets have not been met. The slow rate of building in the UK may become even worse after the referendum: shares

in house-builders have slumped badly as a result of the uncertainty caused by the vote to leave.

360,000 households containing a disabled person have savings of £12,000 or more. 1 in 4 households needing accessible housing (480,000) have incomes above the median income after housing costs of all owner occupier households (£448 per week).

Disabled people are significantly more likely to be dissatisfied with their current home than non-disabled people – 14% say they are dissatisfied

compared to 8% of non-disabled people. Satisfaction levels are lowest among disabled people under 45 and those currently renting from a private landlord6.

Motivation to buy or move

A majority of the public would like to change something about their home, most commonly achieving more space or more rooms, gardens or parking. Disabled people are more likely to mention an internal change to their home, most commonly addition of or improvements to a downstairs toilet or bathroom.

In talking directly with people with a need for accessible features in their home the LSE research found that some people choose to cope as best they can without seeking to make changes, some pay for adaptations themselves (assuming that there is too little or no resources available from local authorities), and some consider a change of tenure their best option.

Whilst some would consider a house move to address their access needs, changing tenure or moving house would be more likely as part of a wider

life change such as family expansion or downsizing at retirement. In this sense the market for accessible homes mirrors the market in general. However, older people or those who are carers are more likely than the general population to think of moving.

What distinguishes this market segment is their specific requirements for features that make it possible for them to buy with the confidence that their new home will meet their needs into the future. Many also found the proximity of family and friends – their support network – an essential factor in choice of location.

The survey work also found that a number of people of all tenures see a move to social rented housing as a likely future option, that would meet their accessibility needs as they grow older.

The Ipsos MORI survey found that regardless of current housing situation the public in general do acknowledge their potential future need for accessible housing features to some degree.

The majority (59%) of disabled people who are 65 and over say that they will need accessible housing features in the next five years, with 46% of all disabled people and 20% of the general public saying the same.

Of people with caring responsibilities, 47% say that the person they care for will need accessible housing features within the next five years or so.

Conclusion and Recommendations:

The growing number of disabled people, queues of first time buyers and not least our increasing population of older people demand that we pay attention to the way that our new homes are designed and demonstrate a clear market for accessible homes.

Not to address this now, as the UK ramps up its house building efforts, risks replacing one housing crisis with a different one in years to come. The findings of this research programme point to four main recommendations:

1. Developers and their marketing teams should look again at their target markets and products. Are they missing out on the significant market of people that have or anticipate having needs for accessible features in their home and have the financial means to buy? Is there an opportunity to deliver more of what the public like by providing more homes with inclusive features such as downstairs bathrooms and level entrances?

2. Developers, planners, and health and social care commissioners should take note of the overwhelming desire of the general public to maintain independence in mainstream housing as they age and/or develop needs for care and support. We need to ensure that the homes of the future enable people to age in place, or have genuine choice to move to a home that is designed and built to support their ongoing independence – not only for the sake of the household but to minimise public spending on the alternative.

3. Government departments should collaborate to investigate the correlation between unmet need for accessible housing and being out of work. If we are serious about enabling more disabled people to enter or re-enter the work place it is critical that we understand the fundamental role that appropriate housing plays, and plan accordingly to provide genuine, viable options.

4. Improving our data resources is critical if we are to respond effectively to the housing needs of the nation. Disregarding the needs of families with disabled children is to discount an important segment of the market, whilst not being able to match identified needs with the official housing standards is an enormous missed opportunity to create accurate, evidence based plans.

‘Disability’ is an umbrella term for long-term impairments. According to UK disability statistics (Prevalence and life experiences), the most frequently reported impairment type is mobility at (46%).

New data estimates that 1.2 million (1.9%) of the UK population belong to the group of people that use a wheelchair.

It is estimated that an additional 1.4 million (2%) do not use a wheelchair as standard but do rely on ambulation equipment (sticks/canes or walkers), to fulfill daily activities.

This 2% second group is the most prevalent because it represents those who have mobility impairment resulting from all progressive medical conditions and all accidental injuries that have a lasting impact on mobility.

Supplementary notes:
Numbers will not round to 100 as individuals may use a number of mobility aids to fit required activites and stamina

Market and consumer data platform-, Statista indicate that the most commonly reported impairments among working age adults in 2020/21 were mental health and mobility-both of which were reported by 42% of disabled people in this age group). Mobility was also the most frequently reported impairment among disabled people of State Pension age, affecting 63% of people within this group.

A lack of suitable accommodation for the mobility impaired-whether working or pension age creates reluctance in many to travel or stay in unfamiliar spaces-anxious that these places will not meet their important needs.

Thousands more adaptable and wheelchair accessible homes are needed for people with disabilities in London.

An exclusive ITV News report aired in December 2022 revealed that there are at least five thousand people on waiting lists for accessible homes in the capital.

After landing a job in London, Millie Hawes “assumed naively” that the capital would have plenty of accessible housing.

She tried for nine months to find a specially adapted flat that she could get around in her wheelchair – before giving up and settling on a property that doesn’t suit her needs.

New data shows London needs:

• 4,115 accessible or adaptable homes

• 1,244 wheelchair-friendly homes are required

• 1/3 councils responded to requests for information, suggesting true figures are far higher.
  CEO Nick Apetroaie said: “What we’re waiting for now is the consultation and the timescale to make those minimum standards of accessibility for new homes the norm.”

  Earlier research by the housing association estimated that more than 400,000 wheelchair users in England alone are living in homes that are neither adapted, nor accessible.

  A 2018 Equalities and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) report found that “disabled people report a severe shortage of accessible houses across all tenures” with social housing “particularly pressured, with long waiting lists”.

  Unsuitable living spaces continue to have a severe negative impact as they harden barriers and restrictions for individuals- striving to be part of everyday living, social events and work related opportunities.

  “A person is disabled by society and by the barriers that exist within society,” Ms Hawes told ITV News. “Non-disabled people often don’t recognise that.”