Accessibility in Public Spaces for People with Disability: Prospects for a Barrier-Free Public Built Environment

Abstract

Disability is a massive global phenomenon that is causing increasing local, national, and global concern. Over six hundred million people worldwide are disabled in some way. As a result, accessibility in built environments is crucial for a variety of reasons. Most of the time, planners and architects do not view accessibility as a fundamental requirement. Through accessible, functional design, the barrier-free concept encourages freedom. Additionally, the focus on ensuring universal accessibility has been rising in order to facilitate everyone’s participation in social and communal activities. It is evident that accessibility for everyone grows every day throughout the world. Accessibility is undoubtedly a crucial component of social sustainability. Numerous studies have shown that excluding people from the built environment leads to discrimination and the loss of opportunities for social integration. Accessibility is thus the ability to engage in social interaction. From a practical standpoint, accessibility is a significant issue that won't ever truly go away, but it can be improved with the help of awareness on the part of everyone involved. Accessibility has grown beyond its initial narrow use because we now have greater knowledge of the architectural restrictions that exist in the world than we had at the start of the twentieth century. It should not be overlooked that ensuring everyone's accessibility will raise people's quality of life. The objectives of the study are to investigate the current status of public spaces and built environment in the historic urban core of Patan, Nepal, through field visits, surveys & interviews. It aims at assessing accessibility features in public built spaces in the urban area of Patan, Nepal. It is based upon comprehensive observations of infrastructures through site analysis and photography with a focus on the access audit of old and new public open spaces and buildings. It shall also incorporate interviews with experts in the subjects, authorities and building managers to understand the scenario and mindset of the people in-charge. The study's conclusions may serve as a guide for engineers, architects, planners and managers in creating a built environment that is secure and inclusive to all.