Accessibility in Public Spaces for Persons with Disability- A Case of Kathmandu Metropolitan City

Abstract

Accessibility is the possibility of circulation and giving equal access to everyone. One of the problems of an urban area like Kathmandu is the inaccessibility to urban public spaces such as sidewalks, bus stops, pedestrian crossings etc. for people with all kinds of abilities. There is a certain group of people in society i.e. persons with disability (PWDs), who often struggle with the complexities of built environment (structural barriers) that hinder their equal participation in daily activities. Due to the ever growing idea of inclusive infrastructure development and thanks to the advocacy of organizations related to PWDs, there is now a realization of the need to improve the understanding of, and eradicate the barriers faced by PWDs when accessing and utilizing public spaces. This research aims to identify the problems and challenges faced by PWDs in using the public spaces of Kathmandu. A review of literature and existing policies confirms that in the context of Kathmandu, there is a lack of comprehensive and holistic approach to ensuring accessibility for PWDs to public spaces. This research, which is both qualitative and quantitative in nature, takes the stretch area from Sundhara to Ratnapark, a commercial and transportation hub of Kathmandu city as the area of study about accessibility to public spaces- sidewalks, bus stops, pedestrian crossings, foot over bridges/ subways, public buildings and parks. The site area is divided into nine different zones based on land use and a data sheet consisting of date, time and number of persons is prepared to find the frequency of use by PWDs in each zone. Direct observation, questionnaire survey and key informant interviews are used as the tools to collect data and information about the existing condition of accessibility in Kathmandu and compare them against a matrix consisting of parameters of accessibility and universal design principles prepared from a review of international practices that have enabled accessibility. The findings highlighted in the research point to several issues of urban accessibility in Kathmandu- such as unsafe, overcrowded and encroached sidewalks, hazardous obstructions for PWDs in public spaces, poorly maintained and improperly designed physical infrastructures etc. In addition, it is also concluded that the problems to accessibility seem to arise from the poor implementation of policies, lack of legal framework for planning, implementing and monitoring that accessibility mentioned in policies is ensured in action and a lack of coordination between the various authorities of government who share the responsibility of providing physical infrastructures and services. The current condition of infrastructure development thus, reveals the existence of disparity which essentially affects PWDs’ equal right to the city. Some recommendations proposed in the research for making public spaces accessible in Kathmandu are: creation of a strong legal framework for implementing and monitoring the provisions of accessibility, incorporating design standards and guidelines that ensure accessibility in building codes and by-laws, public-private partnership and involvement of PWDs in planning, implementation and monitoring phases of physical infrastructure development and increasing awareness among public for behavioral changes towards the PWDs.