Punjab News Express
CHANDIGARH: Hassle free mobility in private or public sector is the biggest requirement for any resident of the place, whether he/she is with any disability or an elderly. To prevent the risk of any damage and easy accessibility to all the areas of the sector must be availed to everyone.
If we see today in the Indian scenario maximum buildings in public or private sector are least disabled friendly. Whether it is the malls, railway stations, bus stands, government offices, schools and institutions, even private and government hospitals do at some places lack, the ATMs, restaurants, elderly or disabled persons often feel difficulty to reach up to the area. The basic reason is the infrastructure incompatibility. For the construction of the buildings the CPWD has given the specific guidelines to create barrier free environment, and even provide safety, convenience and usability.
The PWD works basically for the infrastructure availability, promotion ation of jobs for the disabled, research and making awareness among people. It helps to check the whether the adaptation and proper following of rules done.
The disabled friendly environment does not mean just the availability of ramps or the washrooms for the disabled but complete safe, accessible area. Usually in the buildings we do find ramps nowadays but when it comes to going to different floors of the buildings we do not have lifts/ elevators that allow the wheelchair bound patient’s access easily. Parking for the vehicles of handicapped persons is lacking. The railings by the side of the stairs do not comply with for disabled people. When we go to ATMs very rarely we can see a lowered curb or ramp nearby for the disabled person to reach up. Poles and pit holes can be easily found on the walkways causing safety issues for visually impaired people especially.
The height of the stairs is too high which is another basic difficulty felt by the elderly citizen even to climb up causing the severe pain and sometimes jerk and trauma to the knee and back while descending down via such stairs.
National Policy for the people with disability 2006 the salient features is “barrier free environment” where it restates to the maximum extent possible roads, buildings, places, transportation system for public us should be made barrier free...!
But do we actually see in the daily life.....!! R really the surrounding environment hassle free??
Its state level governing requirement that any architect or developer needs to mandatorily comply to get a completion certificate. Accessibility does not only mean ramps formation....but a proper compatible environment which can be easily accessed for elderly and disabled.