One of the significant barriers to independent living is accessibility. For people living with disabilities, everyday tasks and settings can pose a challenge. Read on to find out how accessibility becomes a barrier to independent living.
Physical disabilities
Someone living with a physical disability might find getting around their own home difficult. For instance, a wheelchair user may need a ground-floor apartment or accessible transport. However, physical disabilities come in many shapes and sizes, and there are lots of accessibility needs this can involve, such as adapted utensils for people with disabilities involving their hands or arms.
For someone to live independently, they’ll also need to manage transport, shopping, and attending medical appointments. This means accessible buses or taxis may be required, or an adapted car.
All these things come at a cost, and many people do not have the funds they need to obtain them.
Sensory disabilities
You might think that living independently with a sensory disability is not as difficult as with a physical disability, but sensory impairments come with a lot of accessibility requirements. For instance, someone with severe visual disabilities will need time to learn how to navigate their surroundings or use hazardous tools like cookers. They’ll also need to be able to get around their local area enough to go out for groceries and other essential supplies or to be able to evacuate from the building in the event of a fire.
For those living with hearing disabilities, accessibility challenges include communicating with neighbors, doctors, and emergency services, crossing roads safely, and understanding danger sounds (or alternatives to such) like fire alarms and oven timers.
Mental health and neurodiversity
People living with severe learning disabilities, developmental disabilities, or psychiatric conditions may struggle to live independently. Sometimes this is because they can’t make decisions for themselves, such as with developmental disabilities, but it may be because they are unsafe alone due to psychiatric conditions.
Severe developmental disabilities often come with physical and sensory disabilities as well, so a combination of accessibility options would be required. This could come at a prohibitive cost or simply be too much for the person to cope with.
Chronic conditions and old age
Accessibility for the elderly can be complicated due to their reluctance to use technology. Sometimes, older people with conditions such as dementia aren’t lucid enough to live independently, although carers, or even live-in carers, may be required.
Chronic conditions can also affect living independently, especially if the person with a chronic condition is unsafe alone or perhaps unable to make rational decisions. Chronic conditions with physical symptoms may lead to adapted tools and settings and difficulty getting around. Some chronic conditions become a disability in their own right, such as physical disability or psychiatric disability. People with chronic conditions aren’t likely to have enough money or health insurance to cover their needs, so financial issues become a barrier to accessibility.
All types of disability involve accessibility issues, such as communication needs, transport needs, and safety in the home. These can become a significant barrier to independent living.
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