Teresa Adams dreamt of a new life when she moved to Las Vegas Nevada in 2020. Her best friend had decided to move to Las Vegas Nevada from Wichita Kansas. Adams wanted to move there with her.
The new beginning would soon turn tragic. After a pedicure, Adams developed gangrene. Initially, she had one of her toes amputated. Unfortunately, the gangrene spread which resulted in her having her leg amputated.
Gangrene is a type of necrosis (tissue death) that results from a lack of blood flow. Symptoms may include redness or blackness of the skin, numbness, swelling, discomfort, skin breakdown, and cooling.The feet and hands are the most frequently affected. If the gangrene is caused by an infectious agent the patient may have a fever or sepsis.
Adams eventually found an apartment that she thought would be accessible for her. Unfortunately she couldn’t access all of the rooms because the doorways weren’t wide enough for her wheelchair. “People think that because they put bars into the bathroom, that that’s handicap accessible,” she said. “No. Handicap accessible means that you’re able to access every part of that apartment.” She lived there for two years.
When Adams moved into The Timbers, a 100-unit affordable apartment building with accessible housing, her quality of life began to improve. Adams’ mother submitted two applications to The Timbers on her behalf. However Adams initially refused to move because she didn’t want to be considered disabled.
Adams is able to afford her rent now, she pays $370 a month. She says that she’s come a a long way. Living in a supportive community has given her more independence. “I made friends out here, developed a little family.” she says
Adams is among the few disabled Americans who has access to accessible housing . Apartment List conducted a study in February 2020 utilizing data from the American Community Survey and the American Housing Survey. According to the report, only 9% of households with a disabled family member reside in an accessible home. Even though more than 15% of American households have a member who is physically disabled, just 6% of homes are accessible.
Hopefully, by recognizing how difficult it is to find accessible housing, we can all work together to reduce housing barriers for disabled people. them. Housing is an essential part of life, and nobody should struggle to find housing. All disabled people should have access to affordable, accessible, and safe housing.
Sources:
“Gangrene.” The National Health Service, The National Health Service, 29 Sept. 2022, http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/gangrene/.
Taher, Zena. “Priced out: Affordable Homes Needed for Disabled People.” KSN, Nexstar Media Group, 10 June 2024, http://www.ksn.com/news/local/priced-out-affordable-homes-needed-for-disabled-people/?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=socialflow.
Warnock, Rob. “How Accessible Is the Housing Market?” Apartment List , Apartment List, 19 February, 2020, http://www.apartmentlist.com/research/how-accessible-is-the-housing-market.