This week I spoke about accessible housing with Nikki Fox. Nikki has been working on a report for the BBC about how the government has been failing to encourage more accessible housing for disabled people.
I was contacted last week by MDUK to see if I would be happy to be interviewed by the BBC. I was keen to help so we arranged a video call for the next day. After this chat Nikki and her producer seemed happy with my experiences. We arranging for the crew to visit and record me this last Tuesday.
This would be my first interview for TV, so I was hoping I’d do okay. Nikki, Munaza, her producer, and John, the cameraman, were all great. They asked useful questions and kept me at ease.

I don’t usually post about ongoing issues, as honestly it’s just part of my day to day fights. Life is tough and depressing at times, but everyone has their own struggles, and I never want this blog to be a place for just moaning.
Accessible housing is a big issue for many though. Accessibility for housing, when it is considered, is often done to the minimum specifications that can be got away with. While on the housing list we were rejected for an accessible new build “on medical grounds”. Contacting the council we were told that any accessible new build wouldn’t meet my needs. Also new builds aren’t allowed disability adaptations for at least a year after they are built!
Interview link https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m00260ph/breakfast-15122024 (only available until 16/12/2024)
The Future
Like the report says I have finally been offered a new property, a prefab, which while originally built for temporary housing at the end of Second World war, is bigger than my current flat. There are still problems and I have applied for a DFG.
Access from my bedroom to outside the front of the building has been accepted, along with a full coverage ceiling hoist. Some doorways will also be widened, as currently my wheelchair can’t fit through any intenal doorways. I will still not have access to two rooms, including the kitchen. I will also not have access to the back garden, as this isn’t seen by the council as a need.
A DFG, or Disabled facilities grant, is money given by the government to local councils to adapt properties for disabled people. The grant is capped at £30,000, which may seem a lot, but anyone paying for building work, or buying accessible equipment will realise it won’t stretch far. The cap of £30,000 has also not been increased for many years, although building materials and costs have!
I have made sure that the council are aware I’m accepting this property with reservations. But as it’s been suggested that I may lose the property if I don’t accept I’m moving forward.
The Process
This hasn’t been an easy process at all. I was first put on the councils lowest priority band, Bronze, in 2017. In 2019, with help from the MDUK advocacy team, my priority was raised to Silver. Finally in 2022 Cheltenham Housing Aid Centre managed to help me get up to Gold!
There have been many letters of support from medical professionals to get me to this point, along with phone calls. The whole process is draining and takes far too long, with many rejections.
My advice to others is don’t try doing this alone, whether you know your rights or not. I tried hard, with lots of evidence to back me up, but feel I was never taken seriously. It takes pressure from larger groups to make a council really listen.
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