Harmonised Guidelines and Standards for Universal Accessibility in India
Part of: Prelims and GS-I -Social issues
Context: The Central Public Works Department (CPWD) released the Harmonised Guidelines and Standards for Universal Accessibility in India 2021 through its website in December 2021. Key takeaways
The guidelines are a revision of the Harmonised Guidelines and Space Standards for Barrier-Free Built Environment for Persons with Disabilities and Elderly Persons.
Ministry: Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA)
Drafted by a team of the IIT-Roorkee and the National Institute of Urban Affairs of the MoHUA, the revised guidelines aim to give a holistic approach.
Earlier, the guidelines were for creating a barrier-free environment, but now the focus is on universal accessibility
The guidelines say ramps are extremely crucial for providing an accessible mobility option, but it is equally important to understand that ramps have to adhere to given guidelines.
The guidelines provide the gradient and length of ramps.
The guidelines are not just for persons with disabilities (PwD), but for those involved in planning projects, from the construction of government buildings to master-planning cities.
