| Summary: | This study investigates the provision of housing for people with physical disabilities, and identifies underused resources in the system of provision currently operated by the Government and local authorities. Investigation of the evidence shows that there is a need for greater flexibility in response to demand for special housing which is unlikely to be met in the short term by new housing. A change in policy towards adaptation is advocated which will move away from looking to the person's own home as the main source for adaptation, towards a system of identification and adaptation of the most suitable housing within the total housing stock. The 15 million or so dwellings built prior to metrication of the industry in the late nineteen sixties have many features which lend themselves more favourably to adaptation than dwellings constructed since. However, the use of criteria developed since metrication, in particular the size of door openings required, have discouraged people from considering them for adaptation. A definition of disability which may be used by the construction professionals responsible for the design and adaptation of housing for people with physical disabilities is explored, and criteria for adaptation is established. A flexible system of collecting and maintaining data on the housing stock that can be used by people who have to enter properties as part of their other duties, rather than employing specialist surveyors, has been developed. The data can be analysed and each property classified under six headings by reference to a matrix of disability and design criteria, and the classification can be used as part of a housing management system, or by individuals who are seeking a suitable property for adaptation.
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