For Shani Dhanda, life as a disabled person costs her thousands more each year, according to her calculations. From getting clothes tailored so they fit her four foot body, which she said is very pricey, to paying for taxis to get around as public transport is “inaccessible” for her, everyday life isn’t cheap. The 37-year-old was born with a rare genetic condition called Osteogenesis Imperfecta, commonly known as Brittle Bones Disease.
It means that her bones break without any trauma, and she is the height of an average four-year-old. She told i : “Life costs so much just to exist as a disabled person. I had to move to London because there are a lot more job opportunities there than there are in Birmingham, where I’m from, but prices are so high here.
” Shani moved to the capital about six years ago and works as disability consultant, a keynote speaker, and a broadcaster. Her consultancy business pays her bills and she said she could never rely solely on the ad hoc work that she gets, adding: “I’m not Ant and Dec”. But paying into a pension just isn’t an option for her, and she’s not alone.
Breakdown of Shani’s extra living costs In 2022, being disabled cost her an additional £13,328.15 . Costs included: Research from Scottish Widows has revealed that 46 per cent of people with a disability are unable to or unlikely to make any financial contributions towards retirement savings .
Consequently, 48 per cent are unlikely to achieve even a “minimum” li.