9.1 Applicability.- These regulations shall be applicable to all buildings and facilities used by the public such as educational, institutional, assembly, commercial, business, mercantile buildings and group housing constructed on plots having an area of more than2000Sq.m. It shall not apply to private residential buildings.
9.2 Guidelines and Provisions
(1). Provisions in the following guidelines shall apply:
(2). ‘Guidelines and Space Standards for Barrier Free Built Environment for Disabled and Elderly Persons’, (1998), Central Public Works Department, GoI
(3). ‘Manual on Barrier Free Environment’, (2002), O/o the Chief Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities, Ministry of Urban Development, GoI.
(4). ‘National Building Code’, (2005), Bureau of Indian Standards,
(5). ‘National Policy for Persons with Disabilities’, (2006), Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, GoI.
(6). ‘Harmonized Guidelines and Space Standards for Barrier Free Built Environment for Persons with Disabilities and Elderly Persons’, (Draft 2014), Ministry of urban Development, GoI.
9.3 Types of buildings to adopt barrier free guidelines as notified by the State Government
9.3.1Buildings to be designed for Ambulant Disabled People.- Higher Secondary School, Conference Hall, Dance Halls, Youth Centres, Youth Clubs, Sport Centres, Sport Pavilions, Boat Club Houses, Ice Rinks, Bowling Centres, Swimming Pools, Police Stations, Law Courts, Courts Houses, Sport Stadiums, Theatres, Concert Halls, Cinemas, Auditoria, Small Offices (the maximum plinth area 1400 Sq.m) Snack Bars, Cafes and banqueting rooms (for capacity above 50 dinners).
a. In sport stadiums provisions shall be made for non-ambulant spectators (small wheel chair)
b. @ 1:1000 up to 10,000 spectators and @ 1:2000 for spectators above 10,000.
c. In Theatres, Concert Halls, Cinemas and Auditoria provisions shall be made for non-ambulant spectators (Small Wheel Chairs) @ 1/250 up to 1000 spectators and 1/500 for spectators above1000.
9.3.2Buildings to be designed for Non-Ambulant Disabled People.- Schools for differently abled, Botanical Gardens, Religious Buildings, Elderly People Clubs, Village Halls, Day Centres, Junior Training Centres, Post Offices, Banks, Dispensaries, Railway Stations, Shops, Super Markets, and Departmental Stores.
Note: Large wheel chair criteria shall be applicable on ground floors of the following building, post offices, banks, dispensaries, railway station, shops, supermarkets, and departmental stores.
9.3.3Buildings to be designed for Non-Ambulant People (using small wheel chairs).- Public lavatories in Tourist Spots, Clubs, Motels, Professional and Scientific Institution, Museum, Art Galleries, Public Libraries, Laboratories, Universities, College for further Education, Teachers Training Colleges, Technical College, Exhibition Halls, Dentist Surgeries, Administrative Department of the Hospitals, Service Stations, Car Parking Buildings, Airports Terminals, Bus Terminals, Factories Employing differently-abled for sedentary works, Large Offices, (with plinth area above 1400 Sq.mt.), Tax Offices, Passport Offices, Pension Offices, and Labour Offices, Cafes, Banqueting Rooms and Snack Bars (For capacity above 100dinners).
9.3.4Site development.- Level of the roads, access paths and parking areas shall be described in the plan along with specification of the materials.
9.3.4.1 Access Path / Walk Way.- Access path from plot entry and surface parking to building entrance shall be minimum of 1800mm wide having even surface without any steps. Slope, if any, shall not have gradient greater than 5%. Selection of floor material shall be made suitably to attract or to guide visually impaired persons (limited to coloured floor material whose colour and brightness is conspicuously different from that of the surrounding floor material or the material that emits different sound to guide visually impaired persons; hereinafter referred ‘o as ‘guiding floor material’. Finishes shall have a non- slip surface with a texture traversable by a wheel chair. Kerbs wherever provided should blend to a common level.
9.11 Proper signage
(1) Appropriate identification of specific facilities within a building for the differently abled persons should be done with proper signals;
(2) Visually impaired persons make use of other senses such as hearing and touch to compensate for the lack of vision, whereas visual signals benefit those with hearing disabilities. Signs shall be designed and located so that they are easily legible by using suitable letter size (not less than 20mm high);
(3) For visually impaired persons, information board in brail should be installed on the wall at a suitable height and it should be possible to approach them closely;
(4) To ensure safe walking, there should not be any protruding sign which creates obstruction in walking;
(5) Public Address System may also be provided in busy public areas;
(6) The symbols/information should be in contrasting colour and properly illuminated because people with limited vision may be able to differentiate amongst primary colours; and
(7) International Symbol Mark for wheel chair be installed in a lift, toilet, staircase, parking areas, etc., that have been provided for the differently abled.
9.12 Public Building regulations.- In case of design regulations in Public buildings (excluding domestic buildings), provisions for differently abled shall be adopted as per Appendix-XIV of the byelaws and according to the Annex ‘D’ of Part 3, NBC 2016.