TWC would pretend to convert housing so they were suitable for disabled people.

What would happen was this: A Doctor would say "My client has severe difficulties doing x and y. I think they need the kitchen modified, a walk in bath or shower, stairlift, new path to the front door, and back door, etc."

A social worker would go round, make careful notes, then the resident would get a letter denying them help. As TWC had not got any money in the budget.

But what they would do to appease the resident and their family would be to fit a few token gestures towards disabled access. Maybe a grab rail at the side of the steep steps to the front door, or perhaps a hand rail up the path.

That's why there are so many partially converted houses. It was all a ruse to pretend to give a damn about the disabled.

This is exactly what is happening to my wife. Grabrails in the rear garden to allow easier access. Grabrails in the toilet and bathroom, plus additional aids to help her bathing. But she cannot use a bath and we cannot live in our existing property safely.

She cannot also use a stairlift due to her mental health problems. A level access property or a property with a through floor lift has been specified but highly unlikely we will ever see one.

What you have described Matt is spot-on.

Peedoff, I understand how you feel but as from last year I understand building regs state that all new builds must have wheelchair access so the doors have to be wider and sockets must be half way up the wall macking it easer for people in wheelchairs.
It all boils down to the council practising what thet preach but it might be worth going round some of the new builds and having a look.
I also understand that so many of the estates that are built so many houses are given to the trust so it might be worth looking at them, good luck.

I fully appreciate what you sat Carol, but the fact remains that many disabled people are like my wife and need certain types of adaptations. With that in mind it still stands true that there are very few houses which have the adaptations my wife requires.

BVT will make the necessary changes at my current house so why the hell cant they do it at any other house. We have already been as good as told that we can't or will not be offered any 'new house' on the new developments such as Lightmoor Village because none of them are adapted.

It would be very interesting to see if anyone from the Trusts can enlighten people like myself as to just how many, if any, new houses are adapted for people like my wife. It does not help when the WHT refuse us consideration of any dwelling which does not have the correct adaptations already included.

This is as much a money issue with the WHT and T&WC as it is a discrimination issue. They just don't want to spend on the disabled.

Paint new white lines down the A442, put in speed restrictors, put up new fencing, dish out money on other things, but let one disabled individual with special requirements ask for adaptations and the answer is no if they need them put into another house.

I am not doing this just for my wife's benefit, I am doing this for all disabled people who are being done down by the system. I am hearing of new cases from others and I am disgusted with some of the reasons I hear that someone has been turned down for a bungalow, etc.

I am sorry to read your reply but I had a extentsion built 2 years ago and the builder got in to a heated discussion with the man from building regs he said all NEEW BUILDS would have to be fitted with wide doors ect.
It would be worth while going round the new estates but i fear it would take on the same thread as the EP. I wish you luck on the bunglaow the council dont have any and if they did they were only 2 beds which is no good for a family with kids.
My first port of call would be building regs dept at Darby house or you could contact the estate agents and rent private, all the best

Take the TMC for example 800 houses, upto 50 of those houses will be for Social Housing.

Lightmoor - having spoken to the developers upto 50 will be Social Housing.

The New Develeopment at Leegomery - non will be for Social Housing.

This example is 2000 houses, upto 100 will be for Social Housing.

Remember -

Now the Choose Your Home has been in place for 18 months (approx) - the waiting increased from 5000 to over 9000 in one year.

It took Salford 5 years before the same happened and displays the performance of the trust, the fact that properties are sold and not replaced is a great issue.

Quote building regs all day long, they do not cover stair lifts, perching stools, hand rails etc.

It is more than often the case that stair ways in new builds are often meeting such minimum standards they are not strong enough to take a stair lift.

There are wider implications to housing the disabled, the elderley, the infirm that building regs do not cover.

Just when you think that someone might just be watching what happens on this website and taking notice to try and not screw things up any further and along comes BVT to fail the Choose Your Home scheme again.

I put my name down for a new house on the Lightmoor Village development and even though all applicants are supposed to be contacted to let them know whether or not they may be considered the BVT obviously do not want to follow the rules and even tell me that I am NOT accepted.

A polite telephone call to let me know would at least be expected, but I feel that this is probably more due to the fact that I have sent a letter of complaint to the BVT only last week.

Discrimination or an oversight on their part? You decide, but I know where my money would go. Again, as my wife is disabled it means she is immediately disqualified from even getting an opportunity to view just because the house would require adaptations.

Well done Choose Your Home, BVT and WHT!. Your attitude towards people like my wife now speaks volumes. Have I really p**s*d someone off?

I've had a chat with someone from the trust and will be writing formally to the Council, WHT and local MP's.

Despite trying to raise the awareness ofa real people issue, trying to convince the media that this actually happens, is at best extremely difficult.

We spent almost eight on the phones today alone.

I feel a demo with Senior Citizens and disabled people needs to arranged!!

John if you want to meet up with senior citizens they have a meeting at the Town hall in Oakengates. I can find out the date of the next meeting. I also think it would be good for you to meet with the senior citizens even if it's only to tell them about TCW.

why wont they modify the house u are in if your wife is as porly as you say then they have a duty of care towards her wellbeing