Insights from our Accessible Homes Week 2026 webinar | Latest news

Around 120 professionals from the housing and care sectors, local and national government, architects, interior designers and disability sector campaigners attended our ninth Accessible Homes Week live webinar in October to hear about the result of our latest research.

The accessibility gap: Public perceptions of UK homes in 2026 draws on findings from our survey (carried out by Kantar) which examines people’s experiences of unsuitable housing, confidence in current homes, concerns about adapting properties, future housing priorities, and support for policy change. 

Habinteg’s Executive Director of Influencing and Communications, Christina McGill led attendees through key findings of the results which included that:

• 21% of UK adults (aged 16 to 79) report that they or a family member has experienced serious consequences due to the inaccessibility of a property.
• 29% of people who have previously experienced or witnessed the impact of inaccessible homes worry always or often about the suitability of their home or that of a loved one, compared to just 15% of all UK adults.
• People who provide unpaid care for adults or children are more likely to have faced these situations; a total of 40% have personally experienced or witnessed a consequence of an inaccessible home.
• Meanwhile, among those aged between 55 and 64, less than a third (28%) said they were confident that their current home would allow independent living at age 80 without adaptations compared to four in 10 (40%) of all UK adults.

Go to the seventh minute of the video to hear more on the report’s findings.

Personal experience & panellists

Habinteg’s Chief Executive, Martin Warhurst, welcomed everyone to the session before providing an overview of current accessible housing policy.

He also shared how a visit from his sister, Hazel, a regular wheelchair user, to his Yorkshire home and her friends’ homes, highlighted how inaccessible most homes are for disabled people. “Each visit, including her stay at my house, was tinged with concerns about accessibility. That shouldn’t be the case, should it?” he said.

Christina went on to introduce the webinar’s guest panel, which included:

• Debra Edwards, expert by Experience and Co-production Champion
• Brenda Puech, Centre for Accessible Environments (part of Habinteg) Associate
• Dr Rachel Russell, Housing Occupational Therapist and member of the Royal College of Occupational Therapists (RCOT).
• Paul Smith, Managing Director, Foundations.

Co-production & lived experience

Debra Edwards spoke about becoming a wheelchair user in 2014 and having to leave her home as it wasn’t suited to her needs. She was moved into supported housing, which severely impacted her mental wellbeing. Debra said: “I didn’t need supported housing; I needed an accessible and adaptable general home. I had a mental breakdown from not being able to care for myself, because I've always been an independent person.”

She spoke about why lived experience is so important when it comes to designing homes. “You need to hear our [disabled people’s] voices. We’re considered experts; we’re living it. If it’s happening to me, it’s happening to thousands more.”

Debra highlighted the power of co-production in the planning of homes and environments, and how it brings disabled people to the table, draws on their experience to drive positive change and prevent the need for changes further down the line. (Go to 14.54 minute in the video to hear Debra).

Design for universal wellbeing

Dr Rachel Russell spoke about how inclusive design needs to design for people with physical impairments, as well as those with neurodiversity. “Features that compensate for excessive noise, and for sensitivities around lighting, temperature and smell need to be built into the design of homes,” she said.

She provided insight into RCOT’s Building Health into Homes: Strategic Report, which examines how housing can support health and wellbeing and makes the case for how Occupational Therapists can play a part in changing systems for the better.  

“It’s great that government gets the role that housing can play in terms of prevention. But we agree with Habinteg that we need to be designing the right homes. If we do this, we can often 'design out' a lot of the problems people can experience as they get older and experience impairments,” she said. (Go to 26.21 minute in the video to hear Rachel).

Streamlining home adaptations

Foundations’ Paul Smith discussed their new Home Adaptations in Social Housing Charter and how it came about. The Charter sets out 10 practical promises for local authorities and 10 for social landlords. They are about better communication, clearer roles, timely decisions, shared information and a consistent approach to consent and delivery.

“From speaking landlords and local authorities over the years, it was clear that they wanted tenants to live in well adapted accessible homes but found it hard to negotiate and navigate that relationship,” Paul said. (You’ll find Paul at 37.47 in the video).

Tech-aided inclusive design

The last panellist to speak was Consultant Brenda Puech, who works with Habinteg’s inclusive design and access experts, CAE.

Brenda discussed how technology such as touch-to-open cabinetry and button-controlled, variable-height surfaces, are making homes more useable for more people.

“It’s about autonomy and being able to control your internal environment; not just the space, but also the elements that you can control,” Brenda said. In response to a question on the most important accessible features in the home, Brenda said: “A well-designed bathroom is very critical for people… it can transform independence and significantly reduce anxiety.”

Brenda gave an overview of CAE’s consultancy services, which includes inclusive housing design training, and supporting consultancy clients to meet requirements for M4(2) accessible and adaptable dwellings and M4(3) wheelchair user dwellings.

She also recommended Habinteg and CAE’s Inclusive Housing Design Guide , which sets out good practice principles that go beyond the minimum requirements set out in Building Regulations.

You can still get involved in Accessible Homes Week by asking your network to write to their local MP using this MP letter template.docx [20KB], And read and share the original blogs published during the week, which were written by a range of industry experts, including Professor of Ageing, Planning and Policy at Newcastle University, Rose Gilroy, Housing LIN’s Chief Executive, Jeremy Porteus, and Professor Julienne Meyer, Co-Chair of The Housing and Ageing Alliance.

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Top image: Martin Warhurst