In need of a lift – Disabled woman suffers two falls on stairs

A DISABLED woman who has twice fallen down the stairs of her Kentish Town block has branded her housing association landlord “incompetent” for failing to fix a broken lift.
Dawn Moir, who suffers from chronic arthritis and asthma, sustained serious bruising during the falls in her Fortess Road home, after residents were left without a working lift for three months.
The 49-year-old said the lift has been plagued with problems including frequent breakdowns, regularly trapping residents inside, since the block was built four years ago.
Ms Moir said she was appalled with One Housing’s failure to respond to numerous complaints from residents.
“I can’t believe the way we have been treated,” she said. “It’s just not acceptable to be without a lift for three months. I’m covered in bruises from my two falls, the third time I might not be so lucky. After my first fall the ambulance had to carry me up the stairs by stretcher and I’m not a small person. One Housing know all about it but they don’t seem to care.”
A One Housing spokeswoman said: “We have been working hard to rectify the fault since it was first diagnosed in September. However, due to severe delays in obtaining the necessary parts from external suppliers, this has taken much longer than we would like.”
She added that the lift would be back in operation by Christmas.
JOSIE HINTON