Homes With Access Features Have Wide Appeal Among The Public

While the overwhelming majority of the public (84%) say they are satisfied with their current home, the latest Ipsos survey conducted for Habinteg and Papworth Trust found that disabled people are more likely, than the public at large, to say they are dissatisfied – 14% compared to 9% of the public overall.

Despite high levels of satisfaction, a majority of the public (59%) identified something they would like to change about their home, and disabled people are more likely than non-disabled people to identify changes to internal elements of their home such as the addition of a downstairs toilet or bathroom.

Nearly half of all disabled people (46%) say they will need accessible housing features within the next five years, rising to 59% of disabled people who are 65 and over. This compares to 20% of the general public overall who say the same.

When asked to consider the prospect of moving, even if hypothetically, the public are more likely than less likely to consider moving to a property that includes certain identified accessible housing features. For example, nearly half (47%) of the public say they would be more likely to consider moving to a property if it had a downstairs bathroom. The appeal of identified accessible features is consistently stronger among disabled and older people.

The survey also explored the public’s preferences for future housing options if they need care or support at some point in their life due to a long-term illness or disability. Key findings include:

• Half of the public say they would most favour remaining in their current property with some adaptations being made to allow independent living;
• A fifth of the public (19%) say they would most favour moving to a different property specifically designed or adapted to enable independent living;
• A significant minority indicate in-principle interest in living in inclusive accessible housing schemes including; 38% who say they would be interested in living in a scheme for disabled and non-disabled people of a similar age and 35% who say they would be interested in living in a scheme for disabled and non-disabled people of any age;
• Fewer than one in ten of the public (6%) say they would most favour moving to accessible accommodation offering specialist care and support (such as sheltered, supported, nursing or residential accommodation).