A public housing tenant unable to climb the stairs in his own property is pleading with authorities to move him, saying he sleeps in his armchair and is going weeks at a time without showering.
Gerald Friessbourg, 53, moved to Adelaide from South Australia's Riverland five months ago to be closer to medical services, after suffering a major heart attack.
Debilitating back pain from multiple past injuries means he cannot walk without the use of two canes.
But Mr Friessbourg's new property has a steep staircase, and the bathroom and bedrooms are all on the second storey.
"I have to crawl up the stairs to actually shower, I have to sit on the stairs and lift myself up to go up," he said.
When the ABC visited his home, Mr Friessbourg had not been able to take a shower for 14 days.
Cans of deodorant and a toothbrush sit on side tables next to his armchair on the property's ground floor.
"I've been falling up the stairs and falling down the stairs and I've got bruises all over my body," he said.
"The other week I came down the stairs and I fell, and I gave myself a black eye.
"I was on the floor for two and a half hours, maybe four hours, until I could actually crawl to the chair and help myself up."
Mr Friessbourg said he had accepted the property because he was told he would "miss his slot" with the SA Housing Authority altogether if he knocked it back.
He said he was sad, angry and embarrassed by his living situation.
"I think I'm too much of a liability to people, I get emotional about my workers coming in," he said.
"I'm a man where you should be able to get up and do things for myself.
"I can't. I can't move."
Mr Friessbourg — an Aboriginal man — also lives with an acquired brain injury and cannot read or write.
'Unacceptable situation': Disability advocacy group
JFA Purple Orange manager of policy and projects Belle Owen said Mr Friessbourg's situation was unacceptable.
"Unfortunately, it is all too common that people are living in situations in both public and private housing, and the housing is not suitable for them," she said.
"It's really disappointing for Gerald to have somewhere that he's meant to call home, that he's meant to be able to put down roots and live his life, and he doesn't have access to things that home should provide.
"Being able to bathe, being able to get ready for work, being able to get a good night's sleep, just everything that is fundamental to living a good life, starts in the home."
Ms Owen said they were basic, daily tasks most "took for granted".
"I think when you're put in a position where you have to choose between feeling safe about your health and being safe in your home, then that's an impossible choice," she said.
The SA Housing Authority said it had not been aware of issues impacting Mr Friessborg's mobility "until now".
It said it would move him to a "more suitable one-storey property" when one became available.
The SA Housing Authority said it had "always tried to meet Mr Friessborg's needs as best [it] can".
"The decision to accept the most recent housing offer was made by the tenant," it said.
"When [the next move] occurs, this will be his fourth property transfer since 2014.
"Mr Friessborg's transfer has recently been approved as a category 1 transfer."
Category 1 describes the highest level of need.
"If they've made this commitment to move him as soon as possible, I would hope to see that honoured," Ms Owens said.
Growing demand for accessible housing
According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, public housing has the highest proportion of households that have at least one person with disability, at 42 per cent of 110,000 houses.
"Current properties are not fit-for-purpose, and I think too often there's an assumption that if there's an access need that they will have access to the NDIS, which is not always true," Ms Owens said.
"[There's an assumption] that the NDIS will fix the problem … and that, in and of itself, is such a huge process.
"Not every building even has the ability to be retrofitted, even if you have access to the service … OT … to the builders … whatever you need."
Earlier this year, the South Australian government — along with most other states and territories — adopted changes to the National Construction Code, which will come into effect in October 2024.
Those changes will introduce mandatory design standards for accessibility and livability for new builds.
When announcing its adoption of the changes, the SA government said that "updated accessibility standards will require new homes to include improved entry and spaces inside homes — such as wider doors and corridors, better bathroom access standards and step-free access".
The state government has previously said its housing agencies – Renewal SA and the South Australian Housing Authority — were already meeting the National Construction Code requirements in new builds.
The code changes do not apply retroactively though, which means old housing stock does not need to be upgraded to comply.
"Resources are tight, and obviously retrofitting a lot of older buildings is not going to be feasible, [but] it's about prioritising access when we are placing people in homes," Ms Owen said.
"Making sure that knowing people's access needs is front and centre, and making sure wherever they're placed is appropriate to those things."
Gerald Friessbourg said he had investigated installing a chairlift on his staircase but said he did not believe it would hold his weight.
For now, Mr Friessbourg said he would continue dragging himself up the stairs "twice a week if he's lucky".
He said he hoped sharing his story would lead to more action in existing properties, so he and others could live safely and comfortably.
"Hopefully this changes government agencies for how they handle people," he said.
