Here is some good news for people with disabilities in Kerala. The
Commissioner for People with Disabilities has stated that
all new buildings as well as the ones under construction must be accessible.
Without this, they will not get approval.
The government must be given a clear plan and sketch of accessibility
features inside every building, a move that has got the approval of the
disabled community.
This will apply to all constructions including public places, parks, schools,
hotels, auditoriums, malls, parking spaces, public bathrooms, bus stations
and ticket counters. This is something provided for under the Rights
of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 (RPWD), but was never
implemented.
The laws were already in favour of making all buildings accessible and
disabled-friendly. It has also been implemented in some places, but
sometimes there is mismanagement and this leads to a lot of confusion. The
projects need to be approved and enforced better. –Ajeesh K,
Architect
The lack of accessible buildings in India shows that the Accessible
India Campaign (AIC) has failed on many counts. People with
locomotor disabilities are still struggling to access public buildings like
courts and hospitals, to name a few. The move, if properly implemented, will
help ensure the integration of people with locomotor disabilities and improve
quality of life.
Lack of accessible buildings is a common sight across India. Last year, the
Delhi High Court criticised the state government for the
sluggish pace at which access audits for disabled people were moving. Looks
like, more state governments will face criticism in coming days for the same
reason.
Rajeev Palluruthi, State Secretary, All Kerala
Wheelchair Rights Federation hopes more states will follow suit.
“As most of us know, this is not a new law. It was already mentioned in the
RPWD Act, 2016. Just that it was never implemented. With the Commissioner set
to take strict action now, let us hope for a change. If builders do not
adhere to the laws, then they must face the consequences. They must be not be
allowed to pay taxes and their malpractices must come to light”, says
Palluruthi.
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Source: https://newzhook.com/story/21305
