Kerry Thompson is a disability and lifestyle blogger
who spends a lot of time being a Changing Places Campaigner.
I think it's everyone's dream to leave your parents’ house and
live independently, whether it's renting or buying. The thought of making your
own rules and being able to come and go as you please gives you that sense of
being very grown up! I remember that feeling I had waking up in my first home,
a sense of pride and excitement as it was all mine. If I wanted to paint the
walls bright pink then there was no one to stop me, if I wanted to stay in bed
all day then I could.
Unfortunately, my dream of living independently became
harder after I was diagnosed with a rare form of Muscular Dystrophy, which is a
progressive muscle wasting disorder. The perfect sanctuary I called home was
becoming very claustrophobic and unsuitable. I was unable to use my wheelchair
inside, with space to manoeuvre being limited. The thought of losing my
independence was scary and upsetting, which caused my mental health to suffer.
It
was time to face facts. I needed a more suitable home and more space for me to
move around. A home that was adapted for my needs would be critical as my
Muscular Dystrophy was going to get worse, rather than better. I will
eventually need equipment other than my powered wheelchair and this needed to
be taken into consideration when looking for a new home. It took 3 years of
being persistent and being turned down by my local council for being too young
for a bungalow to get somewhere with the process. I wasn't 65 years old or over
and this was a large barrier for getting support. I will never understand why
this rule is applied, a bungalow should be seen as a home for any
disabled person or family, not just those over the age of 65.
However, I was now fully reliant on my powered wheelchair
for getting around, but it couldn't be used in the home I was living in. I felt
stuck, you could even say trapped, this wasn't my idea of living an independent
life. Being trapped in the same four walls was extremely hard. You get stuck in
your own head, your mental health suffers, and it definitely took its toll on
me. This is something that mentally and physically affected me for a long time.
As crazy as it sounds, this pushed me even more to not give up on the idea of
living an independent life.
My story has a happy ending, don't worry. For the past 8
years I've been living my best life with my husband, independently in a two-bedroom
bungalow that has been purposely built for disabled people like myself by
Habinteg. I have a kitchen big enough to manoeuvre around in and a living room
that I can dance in if I want.
I class myself as lucky to have the independence that I do.
By having a home that's adapted for my needs it has made the world of
difference to my life. The appropriate housing can dramatically improve
disabled people’s ability to live independently, with houses that meet
accessibility needs showing a reported improvement in health and wellbeing.
New figures published in June by the Housing Association Habinteg
reveal that, outside of London, under a quarter of new homes due to be built by
2030 are planned to be accessible and adaptable. Only 1% of homes outside
London are set to be suitable for wheelchair users.
You can read more about Kerry Thompson’s campaigning work on
her blog: My life, Kerry’s way.
Have you found your house affects your independence? What
are ways that your house has promoted your own independence? Let us know in the
comments below!
