A disabled Edinburgh man is to finally have his own independence for the first time in nearly 30 years.
Cal Grevers, 28, was overjoyed to have raised over £30,000 that will allow him to not only put a deposit down on his own flat, but make adjustments to ensure it is accessible for his lifestyle.
Diagnosed with muscular dystrophy, Edinburgh Live spoke to Cal last year when he had initially reached out to the community to help him achieve his dream.
Living at home for all of his life, Cal explained he was desperate to have his own independence, and a property that would allow him to live safely alone.
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Just over a year later, donations from around the world have seen Cal achieve his fundraising target, with a move hoped for some time in the summer.
However, the 28-year-old explaining the thought of a move for someone who is disabled is a much greater challenge than for others.
Speaking to Edinburgh Live this week, Cal said: "I don't expect that process to be easy.
"There is going to be a lot of looking at properties and finding it's not going to work because unfortunately the information on lifts, the number of steps at the front and things, they often don't reveal that information on the website.
"But it's an exciting process to be starting and I'm looking forward to it.
"At the age of 28 I haven't had maybe the same opportunities to live away from home that non-disabled people might have and I think that is important transition into adulthood, moving on and taking care of yourself.
"That will give me a boost to my self confidence and let me have more personal space. It would be a big step forward into the next stage of my life."
Launching the GoFundMe in February 2021, Cal had been waiting on the list for social housing for over a year, with the system proving extremely difficult.
Due to needing specialised accessibility, Cal shared that he would have been waiting for at least another few years before being able to get anything at all.
He said: "I'd already been on the wait for social housing for a year and a half and probably wouldn't have found social housing until the age of 30, the pandemic makes you think that life is quite short and you want to make the most of things now so I didn't want to wait.
"I've seen figures in Scotland that over 6,000 people were waiting for suitable social housing in Scotland, and those were in 2020, so I'm sure the pandemic has made that a lot worse.
"From me, when I looked at the online system for social housing for allocating, I'd have to rule out all of the ones that had steps or aren't on the ground floor, then after that you're left with like one or two and they don't even show you pictures of the inside of the property so you can't even see and make an informed decision on what you're going to bid for.
"I think it's a neglected issue, but so much of it is inaccessible."
Despite the issues around accessibility, the kindness and generosity of thousands of people online has meant that Cal will begin to look for his first home in the summer.
Excited to have his own space and put finishing touches on a home that will make life much easier for him, the 28-year-old thanked everyone who has helped him achieve his goal.
He added: "At the end it [the fundraiser] kind of just shot right up and went from about £20,000 to £30,000 in a week, and the campaign has expanded out now.
"Before I was just trying to raise the funds but now I'm able to share more about the lack of accessible housing and issues like that.
"I'm very grateful to everyone who contributed and I'm amazed how great people have been during the pandemic and everything."
