Accessible independent housing for people with disabilities: A scoping review of promising practices, policies and interventions

Abstract

Background: Accessible housing is imperative to enabling independent living for many people with disabilities; yet, research consistently shows how people with disabilities often lack appropriate accessible housing and are more likely to experience unaffordable, insecure, and/or poor quality housing. Therefore, the aim of this study was to understand promising practices, policies and interventions regarding accessible independent housing for people with disabilities.

Methods: We conducted a scoping review that involved searching seven international literature databases that identified 4831 studies, 60 of which met our inclusion criteria.

Results: The reviewed studies involved 18 countries over a 20-year period. Our review highlighted the following key trends: (1) removing barriers to obtaining accessible housing (e.g., advocacy, builders enhancing housing supply, subsidies and financial incentives); (2) policies influencing accessible housing; (3) interventions to enhance accessible housing (i.e., home modifications, smart homes, mobile applications and other experimental devices); and (4) the impact of accessible independent housing on health and wellbeing.

Conclusions: Our findings emphasize the importance of accessible housing for people with disabilities and the urgent need to advance accessible housing options.

Fig 1. PRISMA flow chart describing the search process and study selection.