Building Accessible Homes from the Start, with Luis Canto E Castro

Season 2 Ep 4 Summary Ruth Hunter is joined by disability inclusion and accessibility consultant Luis Canto E Castro for a powerful and deeply personal conversation about the reality of inaccessible housing in the UK. Living with spinal muscular atrophy, Luis shares firsthand experience of navigating unsuitable homes, inaccessible bathrooms, restrictive care policies, and the challenges of trying to access support through the Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) system after moving to the UK from South Africa. Together, Ruth and Luis explore why retrofitting homes is often far more expensive and traumatic than building accessible homes from the start, why current housing standards still fail many disabled people, and how outdated policies continue to leave thousands trapped in unsuitable housing. They also discuss societal attitudes towards disability, the importance of lived experience in decision-making, and why accessible housing should be viewed as essential infrastructure, not an optional extra. Chapters 00:00 — Welcome + introduction to Luis Canto E Castro 01:00 — Luis’ lived experience with spinal muscular atrophy 02:58 — Moving to the UK and working in accessibility and inclusion 04:35 — The Inside Housing article and the need for accessible homes from the start 06:01 — Why current accessibility standards still fail disabled people 07:53 — Unsafe housing, inaccessible thresholds, and losing independence 11:23 — Trying to navigate the DFG system and online discrimination 14:34 — The government’s £50 million DFG funding announcement 17:38 — Why accessible homes should be designed for lifetime living 19:44 — Developers, “value engineering,” and accessibility being removed from schemes 22:18 — Why most people still don’t understand the accessible housing crisis 23:16 — Representation, politics, and the lack of disabled voices in decision-making 29:27 — Disability awareness, schools, and societal change 31:13 — Luis’ personal experience applying for a Disabled Facilities Grant 35:18 — Being refused DFG funding despite needing adaptations 38:38 — Self-funding home adaptations and creating independence 42:00 — Leaving agency care and taking control through direct payments 45:33 — What needs to change in the DFG system 47:23 — Why the UK must rethink accessible housing policy 48:18 — Where to find Luis and connect online Keywords Accessible housing, universal design, disability inclusion, spinal muscular atrophy, Disabled Facilities Grant, DFG, accessible homes, wheelchair users, M4(2), M4(3), housing policy, inclusive housing, disability advocacy, accessible bathrooms, adaptations, retrofitting homes, housing crisis, disability discrimination, accessible design, independent living, planning policy, social care, universal housing, ageing in place, lifetime homes, inclusive environments, disability awareness Contact details Luis Canto E Castro LinkedIn: Luis Canto E Castro Thanks for listening to Accessible Housing Matters UK! If you’re inspired to learn more or want to explore working with me on creating accessible, inclusive, and beautiful properties, I’d love to hear from you. 👉 Visit www.veredusproperty.com 📩 Email me directly at [email protected] 🔗 Connect with me on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/ruthhunter