Forty New Apartments Built Especially For Crippy's

2 Mar 2012: If you've got a physical disability and want to maintain an active, social life, finding somewhere suitable to live, can be quite difficult.

A lot of people with severe physical disabilities are forced to live in nursing homes; intended for the elderly. Nursing homes, while they are helpful in making sure people are taken care of with necessities like food and shelter, for a young adult with a severe physical disability, they can be more like prisons, with limitations and restrictions that wouldn't suit others their own age.

Other options include living in a housing commission home, finding a suitable, yet affordable rental property, or if you're lucky enough to find a perfect partner to live with, the costs can be shared.

Housing commission properties, which are funded by the government, are more affordable, but are largely grouped with other housing commission homes in low income areas, that unfortunately can house a lot of undesirable neighbours with bad past histories, such as drug addictions, violence or illegal activities. This can make for an unsafe environment for people with high care needs. And also, because there is such a demand for housing commission, the waiting list, even for severely disabled people, can be up to ten years.

Renting also has its problems, as I have found out first hand. Most places that are affordable are either inaccessible, are situated in low income areas or in rural towns, far away from much needed public transport. Finding someone that you can move in with can be great, but with the rental market at the moment, it can be almost impossible to secure a property.

But, a new development in Melbourne's Southbank, are planning on at least easing the situation. Plans are underway to build a new apartment block in the heart of Melbourne, which will hold 200 new apartments, 40 of which will be designed especially for young people with acquired or life-long disabilities, and at an affordable price.

This could potentially prevent younger people, with severe disabilities, from having to live in a nursing home, if there are no other options for them.

Melbourne's Lord Mayor; Robert Doyle said on the ABC News website, that the proposed apartment block is on the city doorstep, and is ‘an address to die for'.

The building's completion date is expected to be within the next three years. Not only will the apartments be wheelchair and disability accessible, but the apartment block will be built on top of shops, a garden, a library and a gym, which will give people the option of having a more active and social lifestyle.

I think this is a great initiative, and is something that should be considered everywhere. Hopefully if this plan takes off, other states and cities will follow. It sure can be an expensive life when you live with a physical disability, so I'm almost certain that disabled people will jump at the chance! I know I want to…. Where do I sign up?!

To watch the original news story from the ABC News website, please click this link: http