Naveen Patil, who lives in Mumbai’s Borivali, uses an electric wheelchair to get around. However, his movements are restricted to his home, public infrastructure in India is not disabled-friendly. “Every time I step out of the house, I need someone to accompany me to lift the wheelchair,” he says.

There are many like Patil who have to stay indoors unless there an urgency forces them to move out. However, things might see an improvement soon, as the revised National Building Code (NBC) talks about making buildings and public spaces friendly for the likes of Patil.

The revised NBC takes into account a range of disabilities to make urban planning more inclusive. The new code talks about making buildings friendlier for those with hearing disabilities, heart and lung diseases and epilepsy. According to the new norms, elderly and disabled people will be provided cycle and motor-vehicle parking lots near a building’s main entrance among a host of other facilities.

It is to be noted that following the code is not binding on developers, but if it is implemented in a planned manner construction quality of projects would improve remarkably while letting them discharge their corporate social responsibilities.

Probalika Boruah