Written Evidence Submitted by Stephen McNeice [DPH 041]

• What can the Government do to ensure disabled residents across England have access to accessible and adaptable housing?

The biggest challenge that I come across is once the word disabled is added onto a product or service the price increases despite the reality that the change usually helps many across society. A simple example could be a ramp – implied use for a wheelchair yet it aids parents pushing prams and buggies or delivery people carrying or moving goods.

So the normalisation of accessible and or adaptions for use by all could remove the labels and make a better use of finite resources if only through economies of scale.

• Does the National Planning Policy Framework ensure the Equality Act 2010 is complied with when building housing?

As I am trying to move from my house to a bungalow near my daughter’s house I appointed some local conveyancers I did this based on their google reviews, which highlighted that they were ‘easy to talk to’ and ‘always available to answer queries’ etc. etc. etc..... and so after a conversation with their reception who assured me that these reviews were the case I appointed them.

This need to be accessible was important to me given that I need to be able to understand and or have some semblance of control of my environments for obvious physical, mental health and well-being reasons.

Cutting to the chase after 26 weeks of the conveyancing process and after numerous attempts to speak with my residential conveyancer still refuses to speak directly with me as any inactions are via email, which are generally curt bordering on rude and or through a third person / intermediator within the company. For clarity I have NEVER been able to speak with her.

As we are finally approaching exchange and or completion of contract I NEED not want to speak directly with as the conveyancer providing guidance. Given the barriers to her accessibility I sought advice from the Equalities Advisory Service that suggested I request a reasonable adjustment, which I did. That adjustment was simply that I could speak for a few minutes with my conveyancer. This was denied with a note to the effect that as I had quoted the disability discrimination act in an attempt to speak with the person supposedly acting on my behalf, that any and all future correspondence would have to be in writing so now no one will speak with me.

I spoke again today to the Equalities Advisory Service who again suggested a helpful formal complaint letter but having read it I fear that it will bring the whole transactions to a close and just make the whole thing even more tortuous.

In summary the ability of these legal companies to avoid their statutory obligations is not within the spirit of our laws notwithstanding the clever systems, words and machinations that they use in order that a single individual especially disabled person cannot fight against them.

• Since the Government consultation ‘Raising accessibility standards for new homes’ (July 2022), what has been done to improve housing provisions for disabled residents in England? And has it been sufficient?

From my own experience as a person in a new build bungalow – September 2021. I found the builders really helpful adding an extra handrail and extending the patio at no extra cost in order that I could get around more easily. I did speak to them in advance of moving in and the site manager worked with me to ensure that everything was in order.

Even the new houses seem to have lower light switches and can more easily move around. My only caveat is around the downstairs lavatory where it appears that there can still be a challenge getting in and out if using a wheelchair.

• What role should the Government, Local Authorities and developers have for ensuring the delivery of suitable housing for disabled people?

I think it would be really useful to move away from specific disabled housing, which is often in short supply to properties that benefit most of society. This building on my point about the use of the word disabled adding cost as against the same change improving the quality of life for the many. This could open a much wider variety of properties to a plethora of disability groups.

• Does the Disabled Facilities Grant fully support housing adaptations?

I have had little experience of this so I cannot comment constructively.

• How can the Government ensure it provides sufficient provisions to support disabled residents who do not live in new build homes?

I suspect that should local Government collaborate and work with builders and or developers at the planning stages in order to ensure more appropriate, adaptable and affordable housing for the future. Then this could provide time and the opportunity to work constructively with the appropriate healthcare professionals and or NGOs’ in order that individual and or collective needs can be assessed and a transition plan by area or region be established and built upon over time.

• What can the Government do to support disabled tenants in the private rented sector?

I think this question breaks down into 2 parts: established and new build.

New build could be less of an issue if some part of my suggestions above is somehow captured. As for established this is more challenging and I suspect only legislating will achieve any desired outcome. But this comes with a warning in that such legislation could drive up costs and then by default rents. There has to be a balance to be found.

September 2023