(GIST OF YOJANA) Universal Public Designs


(GIST OF YOJANA) Universal Public Designs

[December-2022]

Universal Public Designs

Context: 

  • In a heterogeneous society, the goal of every state is to provide equal access to its citizens. Inclusion stands for giving freedom for access to all and building commonalities.
  • Infrastructure for persons with disabilities is a significant dimension of architecture. It has certain implications from the special-need quotient of demography, and disability as an asocial construct. 
  • India has initiated Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan as a credible step towards sustainable goals in universal designs.
  • When administrators consider people with all kinds of abilities and their accessibility issues while building public utilities and spaces, it can be coined as universal design. The universal or inclusive design provides a holistic approach to designing public spaces and utilities.
  • The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) inspires and focuses on universal design. It highlights the sovereign government’s responsibility to make improvements since accessibility is a right. 
  • Member States are responsible for systematically removing obstacles and creating inclusive solutions for everyone, irrespective of their functional capacity, characteristics and preferences.
  • In Nordic countries, for instance, universal design is a good example of the vision for inclusive growth. 
  • There are three crucial aspects of inclusive designs in any situation. 
  • Social responsibility or commitment of the entity that evolves strategies for inclusion.
  • The reward to such organisations which initiate such changes.
  • The sustainability of such initiatives.

Challenges:

  • A major challenge in implementing such changes is on emphasising the value of such initiatives at the policy level and at the execution level. 
  • Inclusive design is about creating buildings and spaces, streets, public parks, gardens, etc., that are really comfortable and easy for all of us to use. 
  • Another challenge in providing inclusive architecture is construction workers’ lack of knowledge about the whole structure, and issues of accessibility fail to bring those minute changes for universal designs. 
  • Sugamya Bharat has been formulated by considering all possible lacunae. A country with such a diverse structure demands a systemic strategy to tackle the existing challenges. 

Approaches and Principles:

  • A piece of architecture should provide an equitable use for every person irrespective of their differential ability. 
  • A piece of architecture should possess the quality of flexibility in use.
  • A piece of architecture must have quality-simple and intuitive use.
  • A piece of architecture should have perceptible information about its layout.
  • A piece of architecture should possess the quality of tolerating errors if people commit mistakes due to their disabilities. 
  • A piece of architecture should possess the quality of usage or access and should demand low physical effort. 

Implications:

  • In all the domains of public work, an integrated approach by incorporating the end users’ feedback can deliver a quality of governance to people with differential abilities. 
  • An accessible physical environment benefits everyone, not just persons with disabilities. 
  • Accessibility eliminates obstacles and barriers to indoor and outdoor facilities including schools, medical facilities, and workplaces. 
  • Universal design will also indirectly help the state in soliciting the global community to enjoy the iconic tourist spots in India.

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Courtesy: Yojana