Building Better Cities
Making Delhi’s Buildings Accessible at the State and Municipal Level
The National Capital Territory of Delhi (referred to as Delhi here, and in the research linked below) stretches across a vast area and is home to a large and diverse population. As the seat of both the Central Government and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi, it has evolved into a hub of administrative, social, cultural, and economic activity. The city’s landscape is dotted with public buildings including government offices, universities, hospitals, shopping complexes, and tourist sites that form the backbone of civic life.
Given the critical role public buildings play in Delhi, a key question arises: are these spaces equally accessible to all, including persons with disabilities? In the absence of adequate accessibility, large sections of the population, including persons with disabilities, older persons, individuals carrying luggage, people with strollers, and pregnant women, will continue to face exclusion and barriers in navigating public spaces. Importantly, accessibility in public buildings is not merely a facility for a specific group but a legal mandate under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 (RPWDA), applicable across the country.
To examine and address accessibility barriers in Delhi and assess how the mandates under the RPWDA are implemented at the local level, the ‘Building Better Cities’ project was initiated. The project undertakes a comprehensive study of the legal and regulatory framework governing public building accessibility at the state level. In doing so, it maps the unique governance structure in Delhi across central, state, and local levels; identifies Delhi’s state-level legal frameworks that govern accessibility and examines how they align with national accessibility mandates. Finally, the project suggests actionable measures that will facilitate better compliance and implementation of accessibility standards on ground, in Delhi’s public buildings. The research is presented in four parts, detailed below.
- Legal Framework and Key Challenges details the legal and regulatory framework governing public building accessibility at the national, state and local levels, as applicable to Delhi.
- Implementation Roadmap provides actionable recommendations for implementation agencies to address the gaps in compliance and implementation at the state and local levels.
- Building Approval Process Document highlights where accessibility can be integrated into the building approval process in Delhi
- Summary of key challenges and recommendations
Legal Framework and Key Challenges
This note maps the legal and regulatory frameworks governing accessibility in public buildings in India and Delhi, encompassing central legislations and guidelines, state-level rules, municipal laws and building bye-laws. Based on a detailed legal analysis, desk-based research, and consultations with a range of stakeholders – including government officials, disability rights advocates, urban planners, architects, persons with disabilities’ organisations, and accessibility experts – the note identifies key issues affecting public building accessibility in Delhi. These include gaps in local-level frameworks as well as challenges in the implementation of accessibility mandates.
Implementation Roadmap
The Implementation Roadmap provides a detailed set of actionable recommendations to address the issues identified and strengthen the implementation of accessibility mandates for public buildings in Delhi. The recommendations are structured across short, medium and long-term actions, outlining how identified gaps can be addressed in a phased and systematic manner. Each recommendation specifies the implementing authority responsible for implementation, along with a monitoring body to oversee progress.
Building Approval Process
In Delhi, every building must obtain approval from the relevant sanctioning authority, following the procedures laid out in the Unified Building Bye-Laws, 2016 (UBBL). This document presents a step-by-step overview of the building approval process under the UBBL and identifies points where accessibility requirements can be integrated, ensuring that no public building is approved without complying with accessibility mandates.
Summary
The key findings of the research, including identified issues and actionable recommendations, are presented in a concise summary. This serves as a quick reference for stakeholders, including public and private bodies, engaged in efforts to enhance accessibility in public buildings across Delhi.
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About the Authors
Somya is a Research Fellow with the Disability (Inclusion and Access) Team at Vidhi, New Delhi wherein she primarily focuses on inclusive education for children with disabilities. She graduated from Ram Manohar Lohia National Law University, Lucknow in 2022 with a specialization in Constitutional law. Prior to joining Vidhi, she worked as a LAMP (Legislative Assistant to Member of Parliament) Fellow to a Rajya Sabha MP. During her fellowship, she worked on matters related to representation of marginalized communities, accessible healthcare, inclusive education, and poverty and unemployment in Bihar. She assisted her MP in drafting four Private Members’ Bills on parliament productivity, private sector reservation, prevention of custodial torture and fraternity. Her interests lie in social policy including the rights of children and disadvantaged groups. In her free time, she likes to dance and read about politics and women centric issues.
Rahul Bajaj is Senior Associate Fellow [Disability Rights] at the Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy. In this role, Rahul works with Vidhi's Disability Inclusion and Access team to provide high quality thought leadership on legal policy issues concerning persons with disabilities, assists the team with various origination and engaged projects, spearheads the team's strategic litigation efforts and assists in building mutually beneficial partnerships. Rahul is also a practicing lawyer in the courts of Delhi and the Co-Founder of an NGO called Mission Accessibility which also works on advancing the rights of the disabled. Rahul's prior experiences including working in the Disputes Practice in Trilegal, Delhi, pursuing two masters in law degrees from the University of Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar and clerking for the current Chief Justice of India, D.Y. Chandrachud.
Manmayi is a Senior Resident Fellow working with Disability (Inclusion & Access). Manmayi is a graduate of the National University of Advanced Legal Studies, Kochi (2016). Prior to joining Vidhi, Manmayi worked at the law firm of Dhir & Dhir Associates, where she litigated and provided advisory services to various clients in matters pertaining to the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code. She has also previously worked with the Centre for Law and Policy Research, where she litigated in the areas of public health, women's rights and rights of disabled.
