When the house she was renting from a family member was put on the market, Ms Owen said “severe competition” in the property market made the task of finding a new home difficult before she even considered her accessibility requirements.

“I knew – knowing what the housing stock is like – that I was never going to find somewhere as a wheelchair user that I could buy, move into and not make any changes,” she said.

More than a year later, her home still is not fully accessible, preventing her from living an independent life.

“I’ve still had to rely on somebody else to turn on a shower for me, turn on the taps for me when I need to wash my hands, you know, reach my oven to turn on my oven for me if I just need to preheat it,” she said.

Ms Owen’s experience is not unique, according to chief executive of social profit organisation Purple Orange, Robbi Williams.