Key Points
- Tony Pearson and his wife Carrie say they are facing a £7,000 bill to adapt their Glasgow home for their three-year-old daughter Grayce.
- Grayce was diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy at 14 months and now uses a wheelchair.
- The family says Glasgow City Council refused help with the adaptations they need.
- The proposed work includes a stair lift and a wheelchair-accessible ramp.
- The family lives in a four-in-a-block tenement in Milton, which makes access more difficult.
- The case has been reported by STV, with a Glasgow Live report also referenced in the coverage.
Milton (Glasgow Express) May 15, 2026 – Tony Pearson has criticised Glasgow City Council after he and his family said they were refused financial help to make their home more accessible for their wheelchair-using daughter Grayce, leaving them facing a £7,000 bill for essential changes.
As reported by the STV coverage, the family say the adaptations needed are a stair lift and a wheelchair-accessible ramp, which they believe are necessary for Grayce’s daily life and future independence. Grayce is three years old and was diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy when she was 14 months old.
The family’s situation has drawn attention because the property is in a four-in-a-block tenement in Milton, where access can be more complicated than in a house designed with disability needs in mind. The reporting says the parents have been trying to secure support but now face raising the money themselves.
What has the family said about Grayce’s condition?
According to the STV report, Grayce’s parents have described the emotional strain of managing a condition that affects her mobility from such a young age.
The story notes that Carrie Pearson, 34, previously said she feared her daughter would not survive the diagnosis.
The coverage identifies spinal muscular atrophy as the condition behind Grayce’s wheelchair use, and it says the family sees the proposed home changes as essential rather than optional. The reported cost of £7,000 is tied to the ramp and lift needed to improve access in the family home.
As reported by the journalists covering the story, the family says the current home layout is not safe or practical for Grayce as she grows. That point is central to their argument that assistance is needed now rather than later.
What role does the council play?
Glasgow City Council is at the centre of the dispute because the family claims it refused to help with the adaptations.
The published coverage does not set out the council’s full response in the material available, so the family’s account is the main version reported.
Separate Scottish housing guidance says disabled children and young people who need adaptations should be able to access support when required, usually through the local authority or relevant social work services. That guidance also says households may be eligible for funding depending on their circumstances, although Scotland does not use the same Disabled Facilities Grant system that exists elsewhere in the UK.
The broader policy background helps explain why this case matters beyond one family. Adaptations such as ramps, stair lifts and other access works are widely recognised as part of keeping disabled people safe and independent at home.
Why is the story being reported now?
The story has been published because the family says time is running out to make their current home safe for Grayce.
The reporting from 12 May 2026 shows the issue is active and unresolved, with the family still trying to raise the money needed for the work.
The angle is also clearly one of access and fairness, since the family believes the support they need should have been available.
The case has been framed in the reporting as a practical problem with a direct effect on a disabled child’s day-to-day life.
Who are the people involved?
Tony Pearson is the father at the centre of the complaint, while Carrie Pearson is Grayce’s mother. Grayce is their three-year-old daughter, who lives with spinal muscular atrophy and uses a wheelchair.
The reporting also places the family in Milton, Glasgow, which is important because the layout of the property affects what changes are needed.
The central facts in the coverage remain the family’s claim that they need a ramp and stair lift and are being left to meet the cost themselves.
Background of the development
This dispute sits within a wider discussion about home adaptations for disabled people in Scotland. Scottish Government guidance says disabled children and young people who need adaptations should be able to access support, and it points families towards local social work or housing routes depending on where they live.
The Glasgow case also reflects a long-running issue for families in older housing stock, where stairs, steps and narrow access points can make everyday care much harder.
Local authorities and housing bodies often treat ramps, stair lifts and accessible bathing or access works as standard adaptation needs when assessments show they are necessary.
Prediction
For families with disabled children, this case may increase pressure on councils to explain how they decide on adaptation requests and what support is available. It may also make other parents more likely to seek assessments earlier if they are worried about access problems at home.
For the wider audience in Glasgow and similar housing areas, the story could sharpen debate about whether current support systems are adequate for families living in tenements and older properties. It is also likely to keep attention on the practical cost of making homes accessible, especially where a child’s condition means mobility needs can change over time.
