Callous indifference: Public buildings not so inclusive for differently-abled
Despite existence of laws, the Sindh Building Control Authority has been negligent in terms of ensuring accessibility
PHOTO: Reuters
KARACHI:
When a differently-abled person was seen crawling his way up the stairs of the newly-constructed Sindh Assembly building by the staffers, it immediately raised concerns related to the absence of access and inclusion within the government’s infrastructure and planning framework.
Despite the presence of relevant laws, providing adequate facilities for differently-abled persons does not seem to be on the agenda of the Sindh Building Control Authority and other bodies involved in the development and construction of multistory structures in Karachi.
In June 2018, the Sindh Assembly passed the ‘Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities Act 2018,’ according to which authorities are required to ensure the availability of ramps, special toilets and lifts in all public and private buildings to facilitate differently-abled visitors.
Law enshrining rights for differently-abled soon
With the exception of a few privately-owned commercial buildings, especially the shopping malls in upscale areas of the city, the majority of public and private buildings in Karachi still have no facilities for visitors with disabilities. These include all the buildings of the Sindh Secretariat where offices of the provincial government are located.
Unheeded reminders
In response to the absence of facilities for differently-abled persons in public and private constructions, the Department for Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities has been sending reminders to the Sindh Building Control Authority and other related bodies to ensure the implementation of the relevant sections of the Act when constructing buildings. According to sources at the department, the last reminder was issued in August this year.
“We have sent reminders to all the related bodies to ensure the implementation of the relevant Act,” the Secretary of the Department for Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, Khalid Chachar told The Express Tribune.
He said that although the department has provided wheelchairs to the Sindh Secretariat to temporarily facilitate differently-abled individuals, a long-term solution is badly needed.
“This is not the first time, as we have been sending reminders to the bodies concerned in the past too. No implementation of the law, however, has been witnessed so far,” he added.
In its letter, the department also recommended the chairman of the Planning and Development Board Sindh to conditionally approve all future projects subject to the implementation of the relevant sections of the Act.
The law
According to the Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2018 - Section 6 and sub-section 8 - the “permission for all new infrastructure to be built for public use shall be subject to their building plans adherence to rules given in the ‘Accessibility Code of Pakistan 2006, Government of Pakistan.” The act also states that completion certificates and permission for an occupation will not be issued if the infrastructure design is not in adherence to the accessibility code.
Under the act, the government made it mandatory for constructors to provide necessary facilities for disabled persons in all the buildings constructed before the promulgation of the law. According to the sub-section 9, “all existing public buildings shall be made accessible in accordance with the ‘Accessibility Code of Pakistan 2006, Government of Pakistan’ within a period of five years from the date of promulgation of this Act”.
The right to education of differently-abled children
Per the law, at least one of the entrances to every public building shall be accessible to a wheelchair-bound person. “Where ramps are required to manoeuvre a distance along an accessible route, the running slope should not exceed 1:20, and in any case shall not be more than 1:12 for new construction”, section 5.2.3 of the law states.
Another clause of Section 6 of the Act instructs construction authorities to “to allow for wheelchair users the walkways, footpaths and sidewalk pavements, [which] shall not be less than 48-inches wide, and of a clear width of 36 inches at clearly identified obstruction like utility poles, trees and other appurtenances”.
A clause of the law also states that parking facilities shall be accessible through an accessible route and at least one floor of a multistory indoor parking facility shall be served either by an accessible elevator or accessible ramps.
“For car parking places requiring a minimum of twenty and maximum of fifty parking spaces, at least one dedicated parking space shall be reserved for the exclusive use of drivers or passengers with physical disabilities”, the law states.
The law also requires a minimum of two per cent of parking spaces to be reserved where parking requirements exceed fifty spaces. Similarly, one parking space out of fifty motorcycle spaces, and four per cent in the case of over fifty spaces should be reserved for differently-abled individuals.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 1st, 2019.
When a differently-abled person was seen crawling his way up the stairs of the newly-constructed Sindh Assembly building by the staffers, it immediately raised concerns related to the absence of access and inclusion within the government’s infrastructure and planning framework.
Despite the presence of relevant laws, providing adequate facilities for differently-abled persons does not seem to be on the agenda of the Sindh Building Control Authority and other bodies involved in the development and construction of multistory structures in Karachi.
In June 2018, the Sindh Assembly passed the ‘Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities Act 2018,’ according to which authorities are required to ensure the availability of ramps, special toilets and lifts in all public and private buildings to facilitate differently-abled visitors.
Law enshrining rights for differently-abled soon
With the exception of a few privately-owned commercial buildings, especially the shopping malls in upscale areas of the city, the majority of public and private buildings in Karachi still have no facilities for visitors with disabilities. These include all the buildings of the Sindh Secretariat where offices of the provincial government are located.
Unheeded reminders
In response to the absence of facilities for differently-abled persons in public and private constructions, the Department for Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities has been sending reminders to the Sindh Building Control Authority and other related bodies to ensure the implementation of the relevant sections of the Act when constructing buildings. According to sources at the department, the last reminder was issued in August this year.
“We have sent reminders to all the related bodies to ensure the implementation of the relevant Act,” the Secretary of the Department for Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, Khalid Chachar told The Express Tribune.
He said that although the department has provided wheelchairs to the Sindh Secretariat to temporarily facilitate differently-abled individuals, a long-term solution is badly needed.
“This is not the first time, as we have been sending reminders to the bodies concerned in the past too. No implementation of the law, however, has been witnessed so far,” he added.
In its letter, the department also recommended the chairman of the Planning and Development Board Sindh to conditionally approve all future projects subject to the implementation of the relevant sections of the Act.
The law
According to the Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2018 - Section 6 and sub-section 8 - the “permission for all new infrastructure to be built for public use shall be subject to their building plans adherence to rules given in the ‘Accessibility Code of Pakistan 2006, Government of Pakistan.” The act also states that completion certificates and permission for an occupation will not be issued if the infrastructure design is not in adherence to the accessibility code.
Under the act, the government made it mandatory for constructors to provide necessary facilities for disabled persons in all the buildings constructed before the promulgation of the law. According to the sub-section 9, “all existing public buildings shall be made accessible in accordance with the ‘Accessibility Code of Pakistan 2006, Government of Pakistan’ within a period of five years from the date of promulgation of this Act”.
The right to education of differently-abled children
Per the law, at least one of the entrances to every public building shall be accessible to a wheelchair-bound person. “Where ramps are required to manoeuvre a distance along an accessible route, the running slope should not exceed 1:20, and in any case shall not be more than 1:12 for new construction”, section 5.2.3 of the law states.
Another clause of Section 6 of the Act instructs construction authorities to “to allow for wheelchair users the walkways, footpaths and sidewalk pavements, [which] shall not be less than 48-inches wide, and of a clear width of 36 inches at clearly identified obstruction like utility poles, trees and other appurtenances”.
A clause of the law also states that parking facilities shall be accessible through an accessible route and at least one floor of a multistory indoor parking facility shall be served either by an accessible elevator or accessible ramps.
“For car parking places requiring a minimum of twenty and maximum of fifty parking spaces, at least one dedicated parking space shall be reserved for the exclusive use of drivers or passengers with physical disabilities”, the law states.
The law also requires a minimum of two per cent of parking spaces to be reserved where parking requirements exceed fifty spaces. Similarly, one parking space out of fifty motorcycle spaces, and four per cent in the case of over fifty spaces should be reserved for differently-abled individuals.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 1st, 2019.