Stuart

Content is being used for illustrative purposes only and any person depicted in the Content is a model

As an adult with a disability, I loved everything about being able to live independently. I had a job I loved, and a great apartment, in a beautiful neighbourhood. There was only one problem. I was not very happy with my roommate. Bill was paid to help me shower, get dressed, and do other types of personal care. But he was pretty bossy. He liked to tell me what to wear, what to eat, when to go to bed, when to get up, and he rarely kept his opinions to himself. Along with everything else, Bill liked to go to bed early, but I was a night owl. The tension between us started to build. He started to refuse to help me get into the bath if it was after 9:00 pm at night. One night, after an argument, I demanded that he give me a bath even though it was already 9:30 pm. Bill looked furious but he didn’t say a word as he lifted me into the tub, handed me the soap and a cloth and left. After I was finished, I called to Bill to help me out of the tub and into bed. Bill didn’t respond. I kept calling, but nothing. So I spent the night in the cold hard tub. The next morning when Bill finally came to help me out of the tub, he told me maybe next time I should think twice about asking for help so late at night. I was too scared to say anything to Bill but later that day I told my bus driver what happened. The bus driver gave me the number of an agency that would help me find a new supportive living roommate. The agency helped me report the abuse to the authorities, and they even made sure that Bill was not allowed to work as a supportive roommate with anyone else.