Guidelines and Standards for Universal Accessibility developed by IIT Roorkee experts, released by Government
Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, MoHUA has recently published and released harmonized Guidelines and Standards for Universal Accessibility in India. These guidelines have resulted from tedious methodologies and engagements of team efforts led by experts from IIT Roorkee. The teams from the National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA) and Central Public Works Department (CPWD) also worked alongside them.
Professor Gaurav Raheja, Department of Architecture and Planning in IIT Roorkee has been the principal investigator and consultant of this project. These guidelines intend on bringing the narrative of accessibility and universal design of every sector and element of built environment. The main aim of these guidelines is to facilitate a shift from Barrier Free Approach to Universal Design Approach.
These guidelines will work towards sensitizing, guiding and facilitating the approach towards implementing accessibility in all elements of built environment and beyond. “These new guidelines are a step towards a progressive and an inclusive approach to build environments and sustainable urban futures of India. It anchors the idea of keeping human diversity including persons with disabilities and their needs at the centre of all developments of built environments,” said Professor Raheja.
The guidelines are centred around acknowledging the diverse needs of the human populations in built environment. Factors such as age, gender, disabilities and other social contexts will be mapped into these harmonized MoHUA guidelines.
“These guidelines mark an important milestone to steer inclusion and accessibility in India’s urban landscape. The new guidelines will help develop infrastructure in the country with an orientation of social inclusion,” stated Professor Ajit Kumar Chaturvedi, Director of IIT Roorkee.
The guidelines and standards issued intend to bring about a holistic approach to accessibility. It includes plans of housing, education, transport, healthcare, tourism and public spaces. All stakeholders included in these projects shall uphold the guidelines issued and ensure universal accessibility.
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