Planning Accessible Urban Centres for Persons with Disabilities

India is urbanising at an unprecedented pace. As of 2021, 35% of the population resides in urban areas, a figure projected to reach 50% by 2050 (Reforms in Urban Planning capacity in India, Niti Aayog 2021 Report UrbanPlanningCapacity-in-India-16092021.pdf). With development and growing population, areas are rapidly being transformed into urban and smart cities, and in search of better opportunities people migrate to these urban areas. Urban cities provide the convenience of work, live and various other socio-economic opportunities and experiences. However, these benefits are unevenly distributed. Poor planning and lack of representation often exclude vulnerable populations from such benefits. Vulnerable groups in urban cities include migrant workers, women and people with disabilities. This article specifically focuses on Persons with Disabilities. 

As per the World Health Organisation, worldwide an estimated 16% population lives with a form of disability, amounting to 1.3 billion individuals (Global report on health equity for persons with disabilities, 2022 Global report on health equity for persons with disabilities); while in India, as per the 2011 Census, the estimate is around 2.2% of the population amounting to 26.8 million individuals (Persons with Disabilities (Divyangjan) in India, 2021 2024102947528543.pdf.) Despite the huge numbers, persons with disabilities remain one of the most disadvantaged and marginalised sections globally. 

The Concept of Socially Inclusive Urban Development: 

Urban development aims to improve and create cities to provide sustainable and liveable conditions for all. Social inclusivity is based on the principle of “leaving no man behind”, therefore, the urban centres should provide an opportunity for all to change the course of theirlives irrespective of physical, mental, or socio-economic differences between them. People come to these areas with ambition, and outrightly excluding a section from healthcare, education and employment pushes them towards extreme conditions like poverty. 

Persons with disabilities are one such group. Even after spending time and resources on building developed areas, planners fail to accommodate the needs of persons with disabilities.This happens largely due to the lack of representation in the urban planning committees. When one is not aware of the problems, they cannot solve it. 

Constitutional and Legal Framework:

Persons with disabilities are not demanding special rights, but the equal enjoyment of already established human rights. Indian government has tried to remain sensitive towards their issues by establishing various campaigns, statutory bodies and protecting their rights under the constitution. Under Part III of the Constitution, Articles 14, 15, 19 and 21 guaranteeequality before the law, prohibit discrimination, protect freedom of speech, expression, movement and profession, and secure the right to life and personal liberty. The Directive Principles of State Policy also ensures that the state promotes social justice for all, including the weaker sections. Through affirmative action, persons with disabilities are entitled to 4% reservation in government jobs and 5% in higher education institutions. 

A major shift in urban governance occurred with the 74^th Constitutional Amendment Act,1992. It granted constitutional status to urban local bodies and municipalities. Prior to this,urban local bodies were governed by the state government, and no particular procedure was laid down for them to follow. This led to inefficiency and unequal distribution of resources. The amendment empowered local bodies to work for the welfare of all, and established planning committees to ensure urban growth. 

The turning point in India’s position in protecting persons with disabilities came in 2016 withthe implementation of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, formulated to comply with the guidelines of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD)(Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities | OHCHR).  This act defines a ‘person with disability’ as a person with long term physical, mental, intellectual or sensory impairment which hinders his full and effective participation in society equally with others. The Act mandates the authorities to ensure accessibility in transport, education, employmentand vocational courses so they can step into the real world on their own. It also provides safeguards against abuse, discrimination, harassment, and ensures that they get an opportunity to fair and speedy trial by establishing a special court to try offences under the Act. 

In furtherance of the statutory mandate, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, came up with a robust framework titled ‘Inclusive City Framework’ with the aim of planning safe, accessible, and inclusive cities through their programme ‘Building Accessible Safe and Inclusive Indian Cities’ (BASIIC). It gives substantial importance to the principle of inclusivity in urban planning and design through policy level interventions, capacity building, pilot demonstration of contemporary solutions, and implementation of robust monitoring systems (Inclusive City Framework, 2021 2185.pdf). 

The Implementation Gap in Urban India:

On paper, India’s legal framework appears sufficiently inclusive for persons with disabilitiesbut implementation remains deeply inadequate. There are various physical and socio-economic barriers that have not been taken into account while planning an urban setting. In most cities, public transport, including public buses have a high entry step to get onto the buswhich blatantly excludes people with locomotor issues. Moreover, public spaces, including parks, malls, offices recognise locomotor and physical disabilities. However, visual, hearing and intellectual disabilities are often neglected. 

As per the United Nation Development Programme, there exists a direct relationship between disabilities and higher illiteracy rates, unemployment and lower wages. This is a testament to the fact that access to public spaces, education, and employment that has been promised on paper has not been accommodated in the urban areas.

Building Accessible and Equitable Urban Areas: the way forward

Urban planning in India largely focuses on housing, water supply, traffic management, which are essential, but often sideline the requirements of vulnerable populations. The planners aim to formulate an efficient and fast paced city, while accessibility for all is treated as an afterthought. Inclusivity in many urban areas ends at reserved parking lots and ramps for persons with disabilities. The RPWD Act mandates accessible public transport and dissemination of information in multiple formats, including audio, visual and electronic form.Despite this, a 2012 study that tested 7,800 government websites found that 1,985 failed to open, while most had other accessibility barriers (the full report - The Centre for Internet and Society - government). This stems from non-representation of persons with disabilities in planning and policy making committees. 

Cities are not defined by skyscrapers or luxury infrastructure, but by their ability to accommodate all. Accessibility should be included in the blueprint when designing a city. Auniversal design which caters to all will reap the benefits of the efforts put into it in the long run. Data driven urbanisation is the need of the hour; the lack of proper data allows the policy makers to overlook the need of the minorities. During the COVID-19 pandemic, due to deficient data, migrant workers and persons with disabilities were overlooked when they were to travel back to their homes. Representatives from each group, including persons with disabilities, labourers and women must be included in planning commissions Evengovernment institutions for minorities should exclusively work with city planners to ensure compliance with accessibility and accommodation standards. 

While the current legal framework provides us with a guiding light, the focus should now shift to its implementation. The administrative authorities, courts, and governments must coordinate to ensure accountability. Chief commissioners for persons with disabilities shouldhave adequate powers and resources to initiate and take suo moto action in case of exploitation and exclusion of persons with disabilities. Both public and private institutionsshould incorporate employment opportunities, multi format communication, and usage of braille and sign language. 

Public transport in foreign nations, such as, Japan has a tactile paving that allows persons with disabilities to enter in without hassle. The same has been incorporated at Chennai metrostations. This illustrates that formation of an accessible city is not impossible but rather a matter of political will.

Conclusion:

An inclusive city recognises diversity and moulds itself in a way to ensure everyone can live up to their full potential. A socially inclusive urban development is not a form of charity, but a constitutional and moral obligation flowing from principles of equality and justice. Despite the legal framework, India’s rapid urbanisation has at times failed to include people with special needs, however progressive laws may be, they remain ineffective unless strongly implemented. The true measure of an urban centre is not its high-rise buildings, but its capacity to empower its most vulnerable sections to freely and fairly participate in urban settings.