Home is Where the Ramps, Elevators, & Friends Are by Deanna Stearns
The Reality of Accessible Housing
A close up shot of a person in a wheelchair, their arm outstretched and palm open to receive a set of house keys.
The fall of 2019 marked a huge life transition. I was ready to move to a new city again. It was my first experience looking for an apartment and I quickly came to know the complex and irritating process of trying to live independently as a disabled person. I was a 31-year-old woman with Cerebral Palsy who lived across the country from family and friends while trying to build new friendships in my neighbourhood, get a job and integrate myself as a leader in a new church community. Phew! And then the pandemic?!
The process of scouring the internet for rental ads, contacting agencies and potential supports in hopes to find advocacy can be discouraging. Persons with disabilities have to be prepared for many roadblocks and yet build an inner resolve to keep understanding the processes and barriers. They need to shine the light and share their daily realities. The low-income option waiting lists are long.
Many hours will be spent on the phone, typing emails, explaining specific needs and being flexible for appointments. Even the appointments to view potential spaces are few and far between. Some houses could work if they had a few adaptations and a patient, innovative landlord. Most housing spaces have way too many stairs and have limited space. It will take perseverance to keep hoping that somehow, a homeowner would be understanding. You may even have moments of wishing for the possibility that the ear on the other end of the phone would continue the conversation after the “I have a disability” part. It’s a relief to find people who will listen rather than just thinking that it couldn’t work or people who are willing to think of ways to make spacious, accessible homes in the community.
People with disabilities want to live, make a home, and thrive. We all bring a unique and personal journey of what it means to experience life. It takes courage to talk about these things and it is so important. Isolation and powerlessness can dissipate when we find that there are people with similar experiences and people who see them and understand. It can be helpful even before entering these conversations to:
1) Make space in your day to rest from the search
Go outside, make that appointment with a therapist or spiritual director, laugh and play. It is helpful to engage in meditative prayer, write, sing or dance to music. The housing process can be very stressful and so taking rest and having fun is important for your health.
2) Learn and let out the anger
Do the research on what disability agencies can help. Some do not have housing as part of their programming and some are unable to help you until you have an address in their serviced region. Many landlords don’t think or have never thought about accessible housing. Learning these things and acknowledging them ahead of time make facing these barriers a little bit easier. Anger and saying out loud “This is not fair!” from every side of the conversation will help externalize the ‘this is not okay” feeling and will move us into action and development in ways that will benefit all members of communities.
3) Gather your people
Trusting 2-3 people who empathize, hear you and check in will be valuable even before initiating these brave conversations.
Let’s continue on and explore some of the real conversations that people with disabilities may have in looking for housing. As you read, my hope is that whether you move through life on wheels or heels, if we share our experiences it could make finding housing easier - TOGETHER.
What does taking action mean?
Have a Conversation
Homeowners and landlords, when a disabled person makes contact about your available space, take time to hear what they are saying. I understand the urgency of wanting to rent or even the frustration of getting a phone call when it’s inconvenient, but the search for housing would be easier if a call wasn’t rushed through or ended with an abrupt “No!”
Own Your Needs
Don’t let the inner barriers of fear and shame that pop up internally stop you from having these conversations. Speak to the specific physical needs regardless of if renters can accommodate or not. The value of living life barrier-free helps us all flourish in our communities and cities. It is helpful to make a need/want list as calls are made, applications are filled and rental spaces are viewed.
Make Noise
This does not mean literal shouting on the street necessarily, but facing the honest truth about accessible housing in Manitoba is discouraging and hard! It's time to talk about building houses/ structures that are completely accessible. It’s time to embrace universal design. It is time to speak up, educate and have a strong voice in communities and spheres of influence. It is time to ask landlords to put working buttons on their entry doors and look into accessibility features. There are many things to consider like the height of counters, grab bars in washrooms, spacious hallways and room for wheeling around corners. Something as simple as, wide elevators, handles instead of doorknobs, keyless and street-level entrances are all things that make life easier. It is also helpful to read a rental ad that clearly states whether or not the place could accommodate a person with a disability. Perhaps maybe even starting small by asking homeowners and landlords to shovel sidewalks and entrances in winter? This is the accessibility that benefits everyone. Let’s advocate for ourselves and one another.
Ease the Burden
Throughout the housing search, asking those few friends to help you make calls, face the staircases with you, listen and drive you around to different places can alleviate pressure. This helps so much. It stirs up the courage to ask for needs from landlords, initiates different ways of thinking and innovation on potential places that could work. Friendships that hear, protect, stand and empower you ( at the right times and in dignifying ways) are a gift to lean into.
So Accessible Housing...
A house may not have ramps, elevators or corners where turns are easy. It is true that the world may not always fully understand how much the same threads of belonging, connection and friendship are at the core of every human— disabled or not. As this article is read through I hope it sparks a movement. I hope it sparkes friendship and advocacy. I hope it sparkes flames that bring light into places that are often hidden or ignored. Then may it spark change, new stories, validation of voices, rebuilt homes and places of life for everyone.
May we be learners and not ignorers
May we open our eyes and turn towards the hard things
May we be friends who together act in ways to make places and spaces accessible
About the Author
Deanna is a disabled woman with a Bachelor of Theology. She has over 10 years of experience engaging youth and families that are considered to be at-risk/ marginalized in the Maritimes and in Manitoba. She is passionate about how disabled people are welcomed into social and faith communities. She is a mentor, listener and friend to those who have lived experiences of suffering. Deanna has worked /volunteered for several non-profit organizations, facilitated small groups and given her voice to church, community, and social media platforms. She loves the ocean, coffee, laughing, singing, baking, reading, writing, shedding messy tears over a sappy movie or in moments of prayer. She just finished training to become a Spiritual Director and is discovering and finding a home in the multicultural community of Winnipeg's West End. She is also finding great joy pastoring in a new church community there called West End Abbey.