Barriers and facilitators to obtaining accessible housing among children, youth and young adults with disabilities and their families: a scoping review

Abstract

Purpose: Accessible housing is a fundamental human right and yet many children and youth with disabilities live in inaccessible, insecure, unaffordable and poor quality housing. The aim of our study was to understand the barriers and facilitators to obtaining accessible housing among children, youth and young adults with disabilities and their families.

Methods: We conducted a scoping review involving seven international literature databases from 2000 to 2022 that identified 38 studies meeting our inclusion criteria.

Results: The reviewed studies involved 10 countries over a 22-year period. Our review emphasized the following key trends: (1) barriers to obtaining accessible homes (i.e. common types of accessibility barriers, rates of inaccessible housing, factors affecting home accessibility), and negative impacts of inaccessible housing; and (2) rates and facilitators to obtaining accessible housing (i.e., common types of home modifications, enablers of home modifications) and positive impacts of accessible housing.

Conclusions: Our findings highlight the barriers and enablers of obtaining accessible housing among children, youth and young adults with disabilities and their families and the critical need to support them in securing appropriate housing.

Keywords: Ableism; accessibility; children; equity; housing; social inclusion.