Framework for Accessibility in Institutional Buildings in India

Abstract

The barrier-free environment is the one which empowers the physically challenged to move safely in the built environment and also use the facilities which are available. The physically challenged face problems and spatial barriers in their daily lives because the built environment is usually designed according the person without any disabilities who doesn’t need barrier free buildings. The barrier-free design aims to give an environment in which physically challenged people move freely without anyone's help. There are national codes Central Public Works Department (CPWD), Harmonized Guidelines and Space Standards for Barrier Free Built Environment for Persons with Disability and Elderly Persons, National building codes and international building codes for the buildings for physically challenged. The paper finds out the gaps between the national codes and international codes, which is the best practice for the architects and which are the basic requirements are needed for disabled people by taking them to the different institutional buildings. Understanding of these interactions is used to develop an architecture that enhances the precise characteristics and question the building codes and check their applicability in buildings and if there is a gap in codes then what modifications are required within the building codes. Within this context, this paper presents the problems disabled people face while entering and move freely in the institutional buildings and find basic design consideration that is important to enhance the accessibility for disabled people with the help of codes and by doing a case study of the intuitional buildings.