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It is essential to accept that very few handicapped or elderly persons living in such a special housing are able to drive or have their own cars, because of their handicaps or age, or even for economic reasons. This means that both, groups which are required to take care for easy access to transportation facilities are as below.
- Safe crossing facilities for persons with wheel chair and with impaired vision by providing acoustic signal and installing a safety zone on a wide road.
- Provision of Krebs ramp at appropriate location at the footpath.
- Provision of guiding block at the starting and ending of crossing.
- Accessible bus stop/taxi stand.
- Accessible sub way/over bridge.
- Accessible concourse, ticket booth of the railway station.
An environment that is barrier free is a vital aspect to independence; it can substantially increase the options for establishing your own routine of daily living and working activity. There are many ways to change a seemingly inaccessible environment into a barrier-free living situation. The changes that you decide to make will depend on the following:
- Personal financial resources
- Applicable building codes
- Availability of a qualified, experienced carpenter
- Approval from your landlord if you rent or lease
- Your own ideas and creativity
While a dream house with all the features of accessibility may not at present be affordable, there are a number of changes that can be made for reasonable costs. But it is important to make sure that the person knows exactly what modifications are to be done before beginning the work. Another preliminary task involves checking to see if adding a room, moving a wall, or making other structural changes requires a building permit.
Barriers make an environment unsafe and cause a high level of difficulty to the user. But more importantly, barriers cause space to be out of reach, denying people the opportunity of participation in various spheres of life. This ranges from education, economic, social, cultural and may be other activities. This loss of opportunity is not only a loss for the person concerned but also society’s loss, which misses out on their contribution. Simply put, a barrier causes exclusion and its removal is necessary for ensuring inclusion and participation of all in society.
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