EVERYONE DESERVES A DECENT PLACE TO LIVE: WHY THE DISABLED ARE SYSTEMATICALLY DENIED FAIR HOUSING DESPITE FEDERAL LEGISLATION

Living in a home that is not accessible to a disabled person is like living in a prison cell. Likewise, visiting the home of a friend can contain impossible barriers if you are unable to get your wheelchair in the bathroom door or up a few steps. There has been a long history of physical and mental discrimination to the disabled, whether it is through inaccessible buildings to those in wheelchairs or preventing the disabled from living meaningful lives in society. Despite what people believe, research shows that disabled housing does not cause adverse effects in neighborhoods and does not increase crime. People do not want the disabled living in their neighborhood because they are different and this discrimination is promulgated by stereotypes and misconceptions. The problem doesn’t seem to be getting better as housing discrimination complaints from the disabled increased by eight percent in 2005 and there are an estimated two million situations of housing discrimination occurring each year. According to discrimination reports by Liberty Resources, Inc., the biggest problem results from landlords telling the disabled that they are too disabled to live independently and thereby requiring them to live in their particular housing. Complaints must be filed to identify the discrimination and make changes. However, fear of retaliation, difficulty in filing complaints, and general mistrust of the government often keeps people from filing these complaints. View More