Earlier this week I heard back from an apartment complex that I had applied to. I specified that I would need an accessible apartment. Unfortunately, their definition of an accessible apartment was one that had a “few” stairs in order to enter, but was on the first floor.
This is one of the most difficult things about being disabled. It takes so much effort to do ordinary things. If someone without a disability wants to move into an apartment, they can usually move into the next one that is available. For disabled people, that can be impossible.
In my case, I cannot go up or down a few stairs every time I want to enter or exit my apartment, especially if I am in my power wheelchair. While a first-floor apartment is great, if it has stairs, it still remains inaccessible for many disabled people.
This week, I also received back pay from Social Security and the state supplement program. I also recently began receiving DAC (disabled adult child) benefits. In July, I was informed that because of this change, I was no longer eligible for SSI. After months of waiting, confusion, paperwork, and phone calls, receiving my back pay from Social Security and the state supplement program was an unexpected relief.
Being disabled and navigating all of these different programs feels like a full-time job. Every program has different rules, timelines, and requirements, and a change in one benefit can affect eligibility for another.
All of this highlights something that is often overlooked about being disabled. ZPeople frequently focus on a person’s diagnosis or medical condition, but they do not see the amount of work required to navigate daily life. Whether it is maintaining benefits, coordinating healthcare, arranging transportation, or searching for housing, there are countless barriers that many nondisabled people never have to consider.
Accessible housing is one example. What makes situations like this so frustrating is how often accessibility is treated as a vague concept instead of a practical necessity. For disabled people, accessibility is not a luxury.
A few stairs might not seem significant to someone who is not disabled. To someone using a mobility device, stairs can make an apartment completely inaccessible. It does not matter if the unit is on the first floor if someone cannot safely enter or leave it. Accessibility begins at the entrance, but it shouldn’t end there.
Searching for housing as a disabled person often means asking extra questions, requesting details, and verifying information. An apartment may be advertised as accessible, but the reality can be very different. Too often, disabled people invest time and hope in a potential opportunity only to discover that it does not actually meet their needs.
I am grateful for the financial progress that has happened recently. Receiving back pay and transitioning to DAC benefits are important developments. At the same time, experiences like this apartment inquiry serve as a reminder that financial resources alone cannot eliminate the barriers disabled people face.
Disabled people deserve more than accommodations that are “close enough.” We need housing that is actually accessible, systems that are easier to navigate, and communities that understand accessibility is not a matter of opinion. It is a requirement. Until that happens, many disabled people will continue spending far too much time and energy simply trying to access the things that others take for granted.