CHENNAI: Every building with over two floors coming up in the State hereafter must have special amenities for Persons with Disabilities (PwD), according to the policy note tabled by the Department for Welfare of Differently-abled Persons, in the Assembly on Wednesday.
The policy note stated that buildings with over two floors must have lifts, ramps, special toilets, Braille signage and vehicle parking slots reserved for PwD. Disability rights activists told Express accessibility should be ensured for persons with disabilities irrespective of the number of floors.
“Persons with some disability may not be able to access even the ground floor unless there’s a ramp. So, in case of public spaces, with just one floor, shouldn’t a person with disability be able to access that too?” asks Meenakshi Balasubramanian of the Centre for Inclusive Policy. Instead of isolated measures that are labelled ‘PwD friendly’, activists said the focus should be on ‘Universal Design’, which stresses on an environment that can be accessed by people of all ages, sizes or disabilities.
Smitha Sadasivan of Disability Rights Alliance said, “This should not be looked at as a specific provision for PwD, as the statement in the policy note mentions. Buildings should be constructed according to Universal Design, which has been recognised by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.” Town planning officials in Chennai said that at present, lifts are made mandatory for buildings that are over 18.3 metres high. “In cities like Chennai, developers of buildings with stilt plus three floors, ensure lifts are available,” they added.