Women with a disability continue to face a critical shortage of affordable and accessible housing in the ACT that has been compounded by limited employment opportunities and low incomes, a report has found.
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Research from Women with Disabilities ACT found women continued to experience widespread social stigma and disadvantage across the capital, with many also frustrated by barriers to accessing transport and education.
About 31,700 women make up 55 per cent of people with disabilities in the ACT and 17 per cent of all women in the territory.
Author Jenni Gough said women interviewed for the Contributing our Voices report identified a significant shortfall in housing options that catered to the specific needs of people with disabilities.
"The need to reside close to services and amenities meant that the price of housing was more expensive.
"With limited employment options and reliance on government pension, finding appropriate accommodation in an accessible area was identified as difficult for some participants."
Women often weren't able to move freely or easily as they were hindered by a lack of affordable and accessible housing options, and the cost and effort involved in modifying existing dwellings.
"This was also exacerbated by the need to be in locations that are well connected to services and transport systems," the report said.
Women with Disabilities ACT convenor Sue Salthouse said the report highlighted that every aspect of disabled women's lives were impacted by disadvantage, but said housing could be "inadequate or precarious and a constant worry".
"Access to the workforce is uncertain, sometimes because of lack of access to education and sometimes because gaining employment which can suitably accommodate your disability is hard. In turn this affects income.
"Cost of equipment can be significant or fiddly to organise, from simple things like continence aids, to the more complex items like costly wheelchairs or adapting hand control cars."
Ms Salthouse said problems to do with housing, work and low income affected women's ability to be involved with their communities.
She said those inequalities often fostered power imbalances that could lead to financial or domestic abuse.
"These interlocking inequities combine to impinge on the self esteem of even the most resilient and resourceful woman," she said.
The report said feedback from participants also revealed a "concerning and consistent view" that women with disabilities were not being included with "normal" people and social stigma against those with a disability remained strong.
It found assumptions, discrimination and lack of understanding regarding disability from staff, employers and the broader community were common across all services.
"The accessibility of venues, housing, workplaces and services was also considered a major factor impacting on women with disabilities' lives," it said.
The ACT government recognised that women with disabilities faced particular challenges in areas including employment and safety, a spokesman said.
He said women with disabilities also faced a particular set of challenges in accessing affordable and sustainable housing.
"Housing ACT plays a key role in responding to this need by providing housing that is not only affordable but is also appropriately modified to meet the needs of women and other people with disabilities."
Women's Centre for Health Matters executive director Marcia Williams said the research highlighted the fact women with disabilities continued to face numerous barriers and challenges that made it difficult to live a full life in the ACT.
The report made a series of recommendations to boost employment of women with disabilities in the public service, ensure better information-sharing between service providers and make health services more easily accessible and engaging for people with a disability.
