New Housing LIN guest blog explores climate policy gaps for disabled people

In this Housing LIN guest blog, Andy Shipley explores his work as a University of Exeter researcher on the ‘Sensing Climate’ project, which looks at how climate action can build fairer communities by including disabled people’s needs and priorities.
Using case studies from Bristol, Glasgow, and Dublin, the research finds climate and housing policies in England often give limited attention to disabled people. While energy efficiency standards for new homes have improved, accessibility lags behind.
Andy reflects on changes in equality law, noting weakened obligations since 2010 have left disabled people more exposed to both climate impacts and poorly designed policies.
This is the first in a series of Housing LIN guest blogs leading up to the 30th anniversary of the Disability Discrimination Act.
Jeremy Porteus, CEO of Housing LIN, said:
“Back in 1995, the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) was enacted. At that time, I worked at the Royal National Institute for the Blind and was heavily involved in lobbying parliament during the passage of the Bills seeking to ensure housing was adequately referred to.
Thirty years on, as the anniversary of the DDA looms, I have invited a number of people to write a guest blog for the Housing LIN. Starting this week, they will look back at the impact the DDA had, has had since, or not, personally and professionally, and whether the Act has made any difference to the lives of people with disabilities or how the housing sector has responded to the needs of disabled people.
I am really looking forward to this series of blogs and also inviting each contributor to join me at a special HAPPI Hour webinar in early November where they will reflect on the DDA and consider what more should have been done or can still be done”.