Accessibility and built environments

Creating built environments and facilities that are accessible and user-friendly equally to all, with safety and with dignity, is a right protected by law in many jurisdictions. It is an indispensable pre-requisite for social inclusion, focusing on equal opportunity and diversity.

Accessibility to the built environment affects a large number of people within society in their day-to-day normal life, concerning their safety and physical, mental and social well being. Even a single step can deny entry to a person pulling a suitcase on wheels, or a person using a wheelchair or even pose a safety hazard to anyone with impaired vision.

Built Environments that do not comply with safety and accessibility standards, especially toilets and wash areas, ramps, steps and doorways, are often safety hazards posing unwanted risks to precious human lives, especially to increasing huge sectors of populations concerning the elderly, pregnant mothers, those with numerous debilitating conditions, those carrying small children and heavy luggage and also the dis-Abled persons.

IDIRIYA based in Sri Lanka is actively promoting the concept of 'Social Inclusion for All' focusing on built environments that do not marginalise or discriminate against people on the grounds of diversity in ability.

Pitfalls to avoid
To make buildings and facilities that the public needs to access ‘enabling for all’ is good business sense.

However, ‘designing for inclusion’ requires a thorough practical understanding of the intricacies involved. There cannot be any margin for error as it is a highly responsible task of great national importance that demands time, money and effort.

As such, it is highly advisable that the authorities undertaking ‘building work’ should seek expert guidance especially from those with proven competence and wide experience.

Furthermore, every building and site is unique in its access and egress problems and solutions. So each site must be assessed separately. Not to do that is a costly blunder we often see made even by giants in businesses. Implementing accessibility for all at newly built public environments and places is an indispensable investment bringing a wide range of rich dividends to everyone.

It is seen by supporters as a moral duty, a socially responsibility, and in fact is also a legal obligation to oppose further creations of physical barriers to human lives and promote compliance with standards, at least with all new public buildings and places.

Accessibility Advocacy
Dr Satendra Singh, Coordinator Enabling Unit of University College of Medical Sciences, Delhi, India and founder of Infinite Ability highlighted inaccessible Automated teller machine's and the Indian Postal Service in Delhi via information obtained through Right to Information Act. His continued advocacy and representation led Medical Council of India to pass directives to all the medical institutions in India to make all such institutions/hospitals accessible.