Perceived barriers faced by persons with disability in urban public buildings in India

The study focuses on identifying and analysing the barriers encountered by individuals with disabilities when accessing urban public buildings in India. Present research establishes an association between the likelihood of difficulties faced by the disabled in accessing public buildings and the determinants affecting these difficulties. The National Sample Survey dataset covering the nationwide data of 31 948 collected through the stratified random sampling method was analysed to examine public building usage and barriers faced by persons with disabilities. A Binary Logistic Regression model was used to analyse the difficulties faced by disabled people in public buildings in the Indian urban context. The major findings are as follows: (a) In the Indian urban built environment, veterans with disabilities feel fewer barriers than novices; thus, with age, ease increases to some extent. (b) Living arrangements with close or other relatives do not alleviate the difficulties faced in daily life. (c) The religious perspective on disability is crucial in facing urban challenges. (d) Vertical transportation is critical factor in facing difficulties in urban India. This approach allows for a comprehensive understanding of the factors contributing to accessibility challenges, potentially informing future policy decisions and architectural design practices to create inclusive public spaces.