New lift standards for PwDs to force redesigns for India’s property, infrastructure developers

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. NEW DELHI: India is set to notify revised and stricter national standards for elevators used by people with disabilities, designed to make buildings safer for them, more accessible and easier to navigate independently. The move to enforce stricter technical and functional requirements is seen as a fresh push to the Accessible India campaign launched in 2015 to improve mobility and access for divyangjans across buildings, workplaces, public transport and daily infrastructure, two people aware of the matter said.

Lift manufacturers and infrastructure developers will have to comply with the norms. Under the proposed framework, lifts for people with disabilities will have to be located along accessible routes, with defined entrance designs and minimum clear door openings, one person said. The lift car’s dimensions will be standardized to accommodate wheelchair users, with enhanced requirements for public buildings, while tighter stopping and levelling norms aim to reduce the risk of trips and falls, this person added.

Inconsistent interpretations and uneven enforcement have often led to lifts that are difficult or unsafe to use by people with disabilities. India has 26.8 million people with disabilities, or 2.21% of the population. “The proposal to update lift standards for persons with disabilities addresses a longstanding gap in India’s accessibility framework," said Jaijit Bhattacharya, founder and president of the Centre for Digital Economy Policy Research, a policy think tank.