I now have an accessible bathroom after my four year wait! It is incredible!

Hi, it is  James and Katherine here, we have been settling into our new accessible bungalow over the last couple of months, so as you can imagine it has taken us little bit of time to update you.

We moved into our new home in early January, after being contacted by Cardiff Council in December offering us the chance of this property.

The bathroom now meets my needs and is very much roomier  than at our previous home.

 I can enter it not only in my powerchair, but also by  direct access to the bath by using a ceiling hoist, that lifts me from my bed and then takes me through and into the bath. The bath itself is height adjustable, which allows my care team to raise the bath with a remote control (in a similar way to an adjustable bed). This means that I can bath safely,  and also  we have enough space so my carers can move around as they need too, so they are not falling over each other like in my previous home.

The bath has finally given me dignity,  and I feel this sense of  freedom with not struggling with bed washes, and it has brought me some of the way back to my old self. It is also great for pain relief amongst other health benefits.

James my husband,  has lived every minute of this nightmare with me, and his worry and anxiety is massively reduced. We are definitely laughing more and enjoying life, especially with no more bed washes, (that often took over 3 hours) and were exhausting and took my energy for the whole day.

We calculated that overall, I survived for 1,477 days with no access to a bath or shower in my own home. Thanks to everyone who has signed my petition so far,  it definitely shows how much all of this pressure and media coverage helped me, and pushed the council to act.

What’s next?

I am not stopping here. 

My basic needs are now being met, but many people are also in similar and desperate need for an accessible home that affords them the same dignity. 

I am not going to stop, but I would like to use my story and those of others, to highlight the injustice for those with complex needs and disabilities, who spend so long fighting, a system that needs to change. 

Everyone and anyone can become disabled, and might need complex adaptations, to their current home or in a more suitable property. 

I will be contacting members of the Senedd, as we need specific funding and action to build homes for those who need it most. 

If anyone would like to share their story regarding long waits, and the lack of accessible properties please feel free to get in touch with me. Lets make some noise!

Thanks and if you could share and repost / comment about this petition we would appreciate this. We have been so grateful for everyone who has taken the time to sign and share so far.

Please follow me on tiktok and youtube:

 @katherinedutson Katherine’s Accessible housing campaign 

I will be posting some new videos and a tour of the new set up very soon.

Thanks!

Katherine and James x

PS. Forgive the tongue in cheek certificate ! but it highlights how much things need to change, and how those with disabilities are often meant to 'cope' endlessly with stress, pain and lack of support to allow them to live just like the next person