CW: Poverty
Two years ago, Pottery Barn debuted an accessible home collection geared toward disabled people. Their website features over 200 items including such as home furniture, bathroom fixtures, office furniture, and lighting. The collection grew even larger earlier this month.
27 ADA-compliant accessible improvements to three of Pottery Barn’s best-selling collections, and numerous new designs, were released earlier this month. They were released following nearly two years of work. It was a collaboration between Pottery Barn and Michael Graves Design. Michael Graves was paralyzed from the waist down in 2003, due to an infection in his spinal cord.
Accessible furniture is a game changer for many disabled people. Things like clearance for a wheelchair and supportive armrests can help disabled people be more independent. However, there is one aspect to this collection that was overlooked: cost.
A quick glance at the Pottery Barn Website shows that many disabled people wouldn’t be able to afford any of this furniture. A queen-size Cayman Bed costs $1,499. Even a Cayman Upholstered Dresser Seat costs nearly $400.
As someone who has cerebral palsy, accessibility is important to me. However, I also receive SSI. Paying out of pocket for accessible furniture that costs thousands of dollars isn’t an option for me.
Many disabled people live in poverty. According to a 2015 NPR report, disabled Americans are twice as likely as nondisabled Americans to live in poverty. Programs like SSI also have strict asset limits.
Living with a disability is expensive. In 2020, according to the National Disability Institute, researchers estimated that households containing an adult with a disability require, on average, 28 percent more income to obtain the same standard of living as a comparable household without a member with a disability. In other words, an average household with a disabled adult needs an additional $17,690 a year for a family at the median income level just to make ends meet.
Disabled people face a variety of out-of-pocket expenses. Disabled people usually have a more challenging time managing monthly expenses, saving for the future, and making ends meet because of these expenses.
Some items a disabled person might need include accessible vehicles, enteral formula, medications, wheelchairs, shower chairs, and specialized beds. Some of these costs are covered by health insurance but not always. Even with health insurance, people often have to pay for items out of pocket.
Obtaining insurance approval for many of these things can be a lengthy process. I had to submit two different appeals for my most recent power wheelchair. The process took eighteen months because of the appeals.
In 2021, I created a GoFundMe page for the iLevel technology on my power chair. I am eternally grateful that my community raised money for me. However, I was also saddened that insurance wouldn’t pay for iLevel.
Unfortunately, fundraising for medical expenses is all too common. According to the CEO of the fundraising website GoFundMe, approximately 33% of all donations go towards paying for medical expenses. People create fundraisers for everything from durable medical equipment to medications, including insulin and chemotherapy.
Accessibility shouldn’t be treated as a luxury. For disabled people, access often comes with a hefty price tag. While accessible products are a wonderful idea, they won’t help people if they can’t afford them.
Sources:
Fessler, Pam. “Why Disability and Poverty Still Go Hand in Hand 25 Years After Landmark Law.” NPR, NPR, 23 July 2015, http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2015/07/23/424990474/why-disability-and-poverty-still-go-hand-in-hand-25-years-after-landmark-law.
Goodman, Nanette, et al. “The Extra Costs of Living with a Disability in the U.S. — Resetting the Policy Table.” National Disability Institute, National Disability Institute, Oct. 2020, http://www.nationaldisabilityinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/extra-costs-living-with-disability-brief.pdf.
Iovine, Julie V. “An Architect’s World Turned Upside Down.” The New York Times, The New York Times Company, 12 June 2003, http://www.nytimes.com/2003/06/12/garden/an-architect-s-world-turned-upside-down.html.
Martinez, Gina. “GoFundMe CEO: One-Third of Fundraisers Are for Medical Costs.” Time, Time Inc, 30 Jan. 2019, https://time.com/5516037/gofundme-medical-bills-one-third-ceo/.
Romig , Kathleen, et al. “The Case for Updating SSI Asset Limits.” Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, 26 June 2023, http://www.cbpp.org/research/social-security/the-case-for-updating-ssi-asset-limits?fbclid=IwAR0wZj-zM_VqbPoQ4RV3WZUbOBCKVbnxXlV9lJeWo4GLEVAx2EomA5klzoo_aem_AfEqv7yxyHvw-DLrwMkFZ4LovFDDWokEDXSN5qdX6LwdCd85JZbF0gQkswCdVv1LpVA.
Suqi, Rima. “Michael Graves Design Launches Gorgeous Accessible, ADA-Compliant Furniture for Pottery Barn.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 2 Aug. 2024, http://www.forbes.com/sites/rimasuqi/2024/08/01/michael-graves-design-debuts-gorgeous-accessible-ada-compliant-furniture-for-pottery-barn/.
Torija, Natalia. “Pottery Barn Made Some Remarkably Nice Furniture for Seniors.” Curbed, New York Magazine, 1 Aug. 2024, http://www.curbed.com/article/pottery-barn-michael-graves-beds-chairs-aging-disabled.html.