The city provides an abundance of opportunities and experiences for many people in India, free of limitations imposed of the built environment. The built environment, however, imposes numerous obstacles for Persons with Disabilities in India that limit their ability to move about freely and safely without concern.

United Nation Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities(UNCRPD, 2008)

CRPD came into force in India in May 2008. Unlike the Person with Disability Act, 1995, which defines disability in relation to medical conditions and degrees of impairment, the UN Convention, sees disability as an interaction of impairments and barriers that hinder effective participation in a society.

The Government of India (GOI) has signed and ratified the Convention but to comprehend all dimensions of the Convention, stakeholders need to understand and think deeply about the rights of Persons with Disabilities and how to operationalise them.

Article 9 of UNCRPD: Accessibility

To enable Persons with Disabilitiesto live independently and participate fully in all aspects of life, States shall take appropriate measures to ensure access to Persons with Disabilities, on an equal basis with others, to the physical environment, to transportation, to information and communications, including information and communications technologies and systems, and to other facilities and services open or provided to the public, both in urban and in rural areas. These measures, which shall include the identification and elimination of obstacles and barriers to accessibility, shall apply to, inter alia:

  1. Buildings, roads, transportation and other indoor and outdoor facilities, including schools, housing, medical facilities and workplaces;
  2. Information, communications and other services, including electronic services and emergency services.

The benefits of accessibility are significant.Aside from responding to the needs of Persons with Disabilities, increasing accessibility leads to increased opportunities for Persons with Disabilitiesto access employment and to fully participate in the social, cultural, recreational, economic life of India. Moreover, to compete nationally and internationally, a barrier-free city can increase tourism and provide a competitive advantage.

During the design, planning and construction of accessible spaces and buildings a wide range of opportunities exist not only to optimize independent access to Persons with Disabilitiesbut also to improve access for all. The major objective of the Barrier Free Design Guidelines, which are based on Universal Design principles, isto guide City authorities when considering or developing public projects. The guidelines will serve as a referencefor developing future policies, guidelines, standards and other initiatives that serve the needs of Persons with Disabilities. The guidelines are in keeping with the Official Plan, which states that "A key city-building principle is that public buildings, parks and open spaces should be open and accessible to all members of the public including people with disabilities."

The Barrier Free Design Guidelines have been made considering:

  • a wide variety of internal and external building elements should be universally accessible to comply with universal design principles;
  • retrofitting of old buildings and new buildings should ensure full accessibility from planning stage itself;
  • an equivalent level of safety for everyone, including modes of ingress/ egress/ communication in an emergency;
  • the need to emphasize dignity and independence of Persons with Disabilities, (providing features that will allow people to function smoothly in their day-today activities); and
  • to be non-institutional and successfully integrated with a building's function, form and architectural quality.

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