Abstract
This study aimed to explore how housing can be an enabler or barrier to disabled children’s capabilities through a mixed-methods survey of parents and guardians in Aotearoa New Zealand. In multiple choice responses, many participants reported adverse housing experiences relating to their child’s disability, including leaving a house because it was unsafe. The majority of participants agreed that their housing impacted their children’s ability to engage at school, their ability to play and socialise, and their wellbeing. For open-text answers, deductive themes were generated with reference to the Capabilities Approach, using a template analysis mapping to Nussbaum’s ten central capabilities. Parents and guardians identified capabilities including bodily health, bodily integrity, affiliation, sensory and emotional regulation, and safety. Capabilities in participants’ houses were affected by children’s age, specific needs related to the children’s disability, modifications and equipment, funding, the physical environment of the house, and the housing system. For many participants, their houses did not enable their children’s capabilities to function on their own terms, and this was a source of stress and worry. Barriers and enablers included the affordability of accessible housing, adequacy of support, and sacrifices by the participants and their families. For families whose children did realise capabilities in their houses, this had co-benefits across their health, wellbeing, development, and independence.