Accessible independent housing for people with disabilities: A scoping review of promising practices, policies and interventions

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About the project

Accessible housing is imperative to enabling independent living for many people with disabilities, yet research consistently shows how people with disabilities often lack appropriate accessible housing and are more likely to experience unaffordable, insecure and/or poor-quality housing. Therefore, the aim of this study was to understand promising practices, policies and interventions regarding accessible independent housing for people with disabilities.

The global magnitude and urgency of this issue has been recognized in the United Nations Flagship Report on Disability and Sustainable Development Goals, which highlights the housing situation of people with disabilities as a key area of concern over the next decade. Canada is no exception, where over one-fifth of the population lives with a disability and the country is also experiencing a housing crisis. Existing accessible housing practices and policies are inadequate, and often fail to cover the majority of the housing supply. Additionally, people with disabilities often encounter challenges in finding appropriate housing due to widespread disability-related discrimination.

Accessible housing is important because it can help to enable many health and social benefits for people with disabilities, including improved independence, safety, privacy, self-confidence and overall well-being. This scoping review synthesized the past 20 years of peer-reviewed literature, which involved 60 studies across 18 countries, reporting on promising practices, policies and interventions to enhance accessible and independent housing for people with disabilities. Our findings emphasize the importance of accessible housing for people with disabilities, and the urgent need to advance accessible housing options.

Key findings

• Approaches to removing barriers to obtaining accessible housing include advocacy efforts targeting policy-makers and homebuilders, enhanced supply on the part of homebuilders, subsidies and financial incentives, and effective communication and collaborative partnerships among people with disabilities and other housing stakeholders (e.g., builders, landlord associations, etc.).
• Policies that influenced accessible housing included those aimed at reducing financial barriers, enhancing building code enforcement, and increasing collaboration between government and private housing stakeholders to increase supply. 
• Many studies reported on how home modifications to entrances, bathrooms, kitchens and bedrooms enhanced accessible housing for people with disabilities. Bathroom modifications were especially common in studies focusing on people with physical or mobility disabilities, while studies focusing on people with vision impairments focused on home adaptations to lighting and flooring.
• Various factors affect decisions surrounding household modifications to enhance accessibility, including personal, societal, environmental, economic, social and occupational factors. Some studies reported that disability type or severity of the condition affected decisions to make household modifications. 
• Several studies explored the use of newer technologies and mechanisms such as smart homes, mobile applications and other experimental devices to enhance accessibility and independence for people with disabilities. Examples of innovations included a model smart home with sensors and antennas that alert visually impaired occupants about obstacles within their homes, and an integrated staircase lift to improve accessibility for people with mobility disabilities.
• Impacts of accessible housing for people with disabilities include enhanced independence, safety, quality of life, participation, social connections, community integration, improved health and well-being, decreased physical environmental barriers and decreased dependence on mobility devices. 

Policy implications

• More effective communication and collaboration among key housing stakeholders and people with disabilities is urgently needed to ensure that the housing needs of people with disabilities are better understood and that people with disabilities have a sufficient understanding of the accessible housing options available to them.
• It is essential to engage people with disabilities in program and policy planning to ensure that accessible housing solutions and adaptations meet their needs.
• More effective and efficient integration and coordination across various levels of government (i.e., municipal, provincial and federal) is needed to enable the development and implementation of effective housing practices and policies that can help to enhance accessible housing options for people with disabilities. 

Further information 

Read the full report

Contact the researchers

Dr. Sally Lindsay, Senior Scientist and Professor, Bloorview Research Institute, Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, University of Toronto: slindsay@hollandbloorview.ca