Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Avoidable challenges for physically-challenged City Pulse

–File Photo

Insensitive: Despite the city boasting of many swank malls, most of them have ignored incorporating accessibility features for the physically-challenged.

HYDERABAD: The city has seen exponential infrastructure growth in recent years in the form of high rises, shopping malls et al but most of them have chosen to turn a blind eye when it comes to incorporating simple accessibility features in their ‘modern and world-class’ structures.

Apart from the Sweekar-Upkaar building in Secunderabad and the National Academy of Construction (NAC) buildings, no other structures in the twin cities are barrier free, affirms G. Sunil Kumar, former NAC official. Which means it is tough for the disabled and others to move comfortably in them.

Then, “accessibility is not just about moving around freely but also a question of my dignity as it is a humiliating experience to be carried to my seat in the first floor office,” points out L. Dinesh, working for a national bank. In case you are under the impression that buildings with a ramp at their entry/exit points have made accessibility easier for persons with disability, think again.

Most often, the inclination of the ramp is too high for a wheelchair user to go without anyone’s assistance, says Sudha, working for Satyam. “Once I enter the buildings using the ramp provided, I cannot go around without someone’s help. The lifts are too narrow for my wheel chair and so are the bathrooms,” she says.

Access to barrier-free toilets that just require grip bars placed at convenient height and position to hold onto, are among the biggest hurdles for persons with disabilities. Hence, popular hangouts like Imax and Hyderabad Central are out of bounds for people like her.

“It’s an issue for all,” asserts Mr. Sudhakara Reddy explaining that accessibility features stand to benefit not only person with disability but even sick, older persons, children and pregnant women. Access features if incorporated before the construction of a building will increase the project cost by just two per cent of the total construction cost.

The expenses obviously increase when the features are incorporated later.

It is not to say there are no rules in place. The Central Public Works Department (CPWD) has issued a set of mandatory guidelines on constructing public buildings with barrier free features. However they are not implemented with people often citing ‘financial considerations’ as one of the reasons.

“We do not expect all private buildings with limited resources to adhere to the barrier-free norms but buildings and public places accessed by all the citizens need to have such features,” Mr. Reddy maintains.

“Compliance should be enforced by the government by putting necessary regulatory mechanisms in place and granting No Objection Certificates only after barrier free facilities are incorporated into the building design.”

For a start, the government could set an example by making its buildings accessible for persons with disability, states Mr. Reddy. 18 per cent of the population stands to benefit if public buildings or transportation systems are designed according to universal design principles of accessibility, United Nations study reports.

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