ACCESSIBILITY OF PUBLIC SPACES BY DIFFERENTLY

ABLED PEOPLE: Case of Guwahati

Ar. Disha Jain
Royal school of architecture, Royal global university, Ahom gaon, Guwahati-781032
Jaindisha20.dj97@gmail.com

Abstract

Wanderlust strikes people of all caste, creed and capabilities. This planet is our common inheritance after all
and everything is meant for everyone. However, a large section of people have had to stifle their thirst to travel
– because the infrastructure is designed and controlled from the perspective of those with perfectly functioning
senses and limbs. It doesn’t always consider the requirements of the differently abled persons who also want to
experience the joy of discovering new places but simply need different means and tools to do so.
The focus here in the writing of this research paper is to study their accessibility in different public spaces, to
know the perspective of the specially abled people on this issue and to find ways on making educational
institutes, classrooms, libraries, washrooms etc more specially abled friendly.

Key Word: Public spaces, Differently abled people, Accessibility, Specially abled people

1. INTRODUCTION
Whereas physical accessibility to public buildings
and places is one of the reasons to assist the
According to a new report by the World Bank and
participation of persons with disabilities in the
the World Health Organization, persons with
community and the realization of their rights, this
disabilities currently constitute 15 percent of the
research indicates that no considerable attention
world’s population and most of these persons live
has been paid to physical accessibility and various
in rural areas in developing countries. Many of
categories of persons with disabilities cannot enjoy
these persons lack an equal access to health care,
their legal rights and access public buildings and
education, job opportunities and other necessary
places due to various types of disabilities (physical
services. One of these challenges that prevent their
disability is one focused in this paper), although
access to possible independence and their use of
accessibility has been enshrined in the relevant
public spaces is lack of attention to their physical
national and international laws.
and mobility needs, resulting in their isolation and
deprivation of their human rights. In our country
An appropriately designed environment may
persons with disabilities comprise 26.8 million. In
include enabling the positive experiences of all
terms of percentage, this stands at 2.21 % of all
users, yet public spaces such as shopping malls,
population, according to previous studies.
etc. are not always concerned about the
accessibility of persons with disabilities in the
The issue of access to public spaces has received
universal sense. By universal access, we mean
little attention in our country, leading to the
creating enabling environments where people of
deprivation of a large number of people from
different abilities and disabilities can have access
enjoying their legal rights on an equal footing and
equally. This universal approach to the designed
ease with other members of the society. As a result,
environment allows the full social participation of
disability has caused many problems at family and
everyone in the activities of public interior spaces
societal levels, because persons with disabilities
regardless of age or ability. Social involvement is
have been deprived of accessing their human rights
defined as “the ability to choose and move around
such as the rights to health and education and other
freely in one's environment and to do what one
human rights, they have been unable to utilize their
wants and needs to do, including accessing
talents and their families are unable to provide
housing, employment, transportation, and social
them with a healthy lifestyle.
venues”. However, too often environments and
buildings may deny access to some while allowing 4. DATA COLLECTION
access to others.
The studies presented here are predicated on the
1) A preliminary physical space assessment
idea that the design elements play a role in
and user needs assessment;
determining positive physical access and that this
2) Walk-abouts and conversations to glean
access may have an impact on the subsequent
user experiences with subsequent
social experiences of people with disabilities.
comparative analysis.
Spaces are designed for social activities, and the
ways in which interiors and buildings are designed
a) Which spaces are more easily accessible?
affect both social constructions and the subsequent
experiences of individuals.
EASILY ACCESSIBLE
2. OBJECTIVE MALLS

1) To assess the physical environment from a PARKS

design perspective, from the perspective
of characteristics of the space and its OFFICES
design, the spatial characteristics and the
interiors’ relative accessibility;
EDUCATIONAL
2) To understand the experiences people INSTITUTES
have of the environment from their
perspective; TEMPLES
3) To compare the visual, physical
environment to the experiences of the
users and issues that is revealed. b) Which spaces have more easy circulation?

3. CURRENT SCENARIO CIRCULATION

MALLS

PARKS

OFFICES

EDUCATIONAL
INSTITUTES
TEMPLES

Guwahati, the biggest city of Assam, a noteworthy c) Which spaces have good signage facility?
River port city and one of the quickest developing
cities in India, has got a population of about 2
SIGNAGE
million people of which approximately 2% are
specially abled. MALLS

Despite that majority of the public spaces such as PARKS

schools, colleges, parks, offices, etc. in the city
aren’t specially abled people friendly. Whereas few OFFICES

buildings and spaces recently got ramps

EDUCATIONAL
incorporated due to new laws but many of them are
INSTITUTES
just namesake and not of correct proportions. Few
TEMPLES
of them if are of correct proportions, are not visible
and hence less helpful. ++
 d) Ramp ratios in public buildings? that being possible a barrier free environment needs
to be constructed. That is also known as a universal
design that is inclusive of all.
RAMP SLOPE
6.1 ARCHITECTURAL MEASURES
1:12
a) Special attention should be given to
1:11
pathways, ramps, curbs, pedestrians,
1:10 crossings, parking, signage, etc. in open
1:08 spaces.
1:15 b) Built spaces consideration are ramps, rest
room, elevators, building type, lifts, stairs,
railing handrails, entrance, reach.
c) In pedestrian crossings acoustic devices
e) Are you satisfied with government should be installed on a pole at the point
initiatives for specially abled? of origin of crossing and not at the point
of destination. The installation of two
adjacent acoustic devices such as bleeper's
GOVERNMENT POLICIES is not adviced in order to avoid
disorientation. The time gap allowed for
crossing should be programmed according
AGREE to the slowest crossing persons.
d) It is required of all buildings above three
DISAGREE floors to be provided with elevators.
Buildings having less than four floors can
STRONGLY be have ramps to provide access for the
DISAGREE
disabled people.
e) Restrooms should be made available in all
the public buildings.
f) Signage, which is readable at night too
5. DATA ANALYSIS should be there in all the public spaces.
g) Generally there are differences in level
Above data it can be interpreted that: between the road surface and pathway
a) Malls and parks are comparatively more easily level at building entrances which makes it
accessible, with better circulation and have difficult for specially abled persons to
good signage. Hence, are more specially abled access the building so ramps must be
friendly spaces. provided there.
b) Most of the ramps aren’t of correct proportion
leading to difficulty while climbing.
c) Government policies though are there but
aren’t strictly implemented.

6. RECOMMENDATIONS

Though The Constitution of India ensures equality,

freedom, justice and dignity of all individuals and
implicitly mandates an inclusive society for all,
including persons with disabilities, inclusion
cannot be brought until and unless specially abled
persons feel comfortable and do all the tasks, go
anywhere with the same easy as others. And for
7. CONCLUSION

In terms of the conversations with participant-

users, their life experiences were hampered by
accessibility limitations and they nevertheless
wanted the experience of meeting a friend outside
and were more comfortable at home. Subtle issues
in the design of the space affect the resultant sense
of social integration or exclusion, as was expressed
by participants in conversation. The first glances
were these important social relationships, and how
the interior environment shapes these experiences
in substantial ways for persons with disabilities in
the public spaces. Studies revealed how these
experiences can be made easier and how the
environment can be changed to provide both access
and ease, through specific changes to the spatial
organization and materials of any public space, and
to way-finding choices and locations.

For our world to truly be inclusive, these inter-

subjective experiences must be taken into account
when creating lived interior spaces and further
studies in this field should always go on to bring in
more and better alternatives which help them
develop and live a hassle free life.

8. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
It gives me immense pleasure in completing this
research paper. It would not have been possible
without the guidance of my faculty Ar. Jugal K.
Devnath. I thank him for providing me
encouragement in completing this paper. Last but
not the least I would like to thank my parents for
standing by my side always.

9. REFERENCES

 General public i.e. specially abled persons.

 www.archdaily.com
 www.archpaper.com
 Census india 2016