Here’s how the Delhi HC plans to make public spaces disabled friendly

In a bid to make public spaces more disabled friendly, the Delhi High Court has ordered several statutory authorities to design a training module for their staff, with the objective of sensitizing them to the needs and difficulties of persons with physical disabilities..A Bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar also directed the Delhi Government, associated Municipal Corporations, and the Delhi Police, among others, to place the said module and the manner of implementation before the Court by March 6..While hearing a writ petition filed in 2015, the Court had, on January 10, directed several authorities in Delhi, including the city’s Municipal Corporations, the Public Works Department (PWD), the Central Public Works Department (CPWD), the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) and Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) to conduct a disability audit, in keeping with the Harmonised Guidelines and Space Standards for Barrier Free Built Environment for Persons with Disabilities and Elderly Persons, framed by the Union Urban Development Ministry in 2016..While some respondents filed reports pursuant to the Court’s January 10 order, they were deemed inadequate under the guidelines. Some failed to file any report whatsoever. The Bench was critical of the same..“The Delhi Development Authority (respondent no. 3) has not bothered to comply with the orders passed on 10th January, 2018. Let the Chief Engineer, buildings of the Delhi Development Authority remain present in court with a status report setting out the audit in terms of those guidelines as well as the details of the deficiencies and the timeline within which they would be rectified on the next date of hearing.”.The New Delhi Municipal Corporation and the Delhi Cantonment Board, however, came in for some praise from the Court..“We record our appreciation for the extensive efforts undertaken by the New Delhi Municipal Council (respondent no.4) as well as the Delhi Cantonment Board (respondent no.8) on this critical issue which also manifest the sincerity of their intention to ensure the constitutional and human rights of the disabled.”.The PWD, which had submitted a list of buildings under its control, had stated that some of the buildings had disabled friendly features..The complete list included buildings such as the Central Jail, Tihar Jail, the Mandoli Jail, the Rohini Jail, Nirmal Chaya Complex, the Juvenile Justice Board, Observation Homes and the Sewa Kutir Complex, among others..With regard to these buildings the Court held,.“Inasmuch as these buildings house inmates under the care and custody of the State, it is imperative that immediate attention is given to these institutionalised buildings to ensure that an immediate disability audit is taken in accordance with the aforesaid guidelines and they are made completely disable friendly at the earliest.”.The Court also ordered the respondents in control of public parks to take immediate measures to remove obstructions such as revolving gates and chains at the entry points, in order to facilitate their use by the disabled and the elderly who require assisted movement. The extreme narrowness of some park entrances was also considered, and the Court ordered rectification of the same..The petitioners were also requested to physically inspect premises that had been put on record by the respondents, and appraise the Court whether their claimed status was consistent with the status on the ground..The matter will be heard next on March 6..Read the order