An adaptation is work carried out to make your home more suitable for you if you have a disability.
The type of work covered by an adaptation therefore depends on your particular needs.
There are two types of adaptations, categorised as “minor” and “major”. An assessment by an Occupational Therapist will be required in order for some adaptations to be provided. Whether or not an occupational therapist is required to pass such works depends on the extent of the adaptations required.
Visit the NIHE website for further information on adaptations or on the role of the Occupational Therapist.
Applications and procedures
The following links from the NIHE website will show you how to apply for adaptations if you are:
- A Northern Ireland Housing Executive tenant
- A Housing Association tenant
- An owner-occupier, private tenant or landlord
The NIHE also provide you with handy step-by-step guides to adapting your home in each case.
Legal responsibility
All Social Landlords have a duty under the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 and Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act to adapt their homes to cater for a tenant’s disability, as they are public bodies responsible for the administration of housing in NI.
The Disability Discrimination Act, for example, states that reasonable adjustments should be made to goods, facilities and services if it is impossible or unreasonably difficult for a disabled person to use them. This may include altering a feature or providing a reasonable alternative.
The social landlord must pay for adaptations to a property to meet the assessed needs of a disabled tenant.