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A Thought for the Barrier Free Design for School Safety

Conference Paper · March 2014

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Chakrabarty Neelima
Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), New Delhi
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A Thought on Accessibility for
Barrier Free Design

Presented by
Dr Neelima Chakrabarty
A Thought on Barrier Free Environment

Presented by
Dr S.Velmurugan
A Thought on Barrier Free
Environment
 Barrier-Free
Environment

A barrier-free environment is a space that allows free and

safe movement, function and access for all users, a space
or a set of services that can be accessed by all, without
obstacles, with dignity and independence
Vulnerable Groups Who Face Barriers

Small children, elderly fellow, lady with

child/children/heavy burden , a porter with
luggage, a wheelchair user, people with
impaired walking / movement abilities,
people with visual impairment ,hearing
impairment, multiple impairment etc.
 The Three Dimensions of Barrier
Free Design

 Recognize diversity and uniqueness

 Inclusive process and tools

 Broader beneficial impact

Barrier Free Design in Transportation
In transportation, accessibility refers to the ease of
reaching destinations. Academics have disputed how the
term "ease" should be defined and measured. People
who are in places that are highly accessible can reach
many other activities or destinations quickly; people in
inaccessible places can reach fewer places in the same
amount of time.
A measure that is often used is to measure accessibility in
a traffic analysis zone is:

Where:
 i = index of origin zones
 j= index of destination zones
 F(C ij) = function of generalized travel cost (so that nearer or less
expensive places are weighted more than farther or more
expensive places).
Brief Information about Various Guide-lines and
Models to Ensure Barrier-Free Environment by GOI

 Building Bye-Laws, 1983

 Steps Towards Barrier Free Design In Education
Training & Employment at Different State Levels
 The Central Public Works Department guidelines
and Space Standards for Barrier Free Built
Environment for Disabled and Elderly Per-sons,
1998
 Manual on Barrier Free En-vironment, the Chief
Com-missioner for Persons with Disabilities, 2002
 Model Building Bye-Laws, Town & Country
Planning Organization, 2004
 Bureau of Indian Standards, National Building
Code, 2005
Important Issues For Making Barrier Free
Design

 To recognize the achievements in Disability Equality in

India, whilst analyzing the challenges our country now
face
 To help incorporating effective Disability Equality
practices and barrier free design in all infrastructures
developed within corporate, public and voluntary
sectors.
 To address and analyze the disability inequality and
barriers to access in India, barrier free infrastructure
and designs for inclusive accessibility
 Disability rights and resources for promoting
disability equality, voluntary sector’s contribution to
disability equality, Corporate Social Responsibility and
its role in achieving disability equality in India
Road Safety Aspects for Vulnerable
Group (Children) including
Children with Disabilities
MAJOR OBJECTIVE(S)

a)Identify barriers to children movement near school

premises;
b)Document & record the accessibility of the road and
street infrastructure;
c)Develop solutions for eliminating these barriers;
d)Outlines for the guidelines of safe accessibility of the
road for children Promote research on user friendly
designs
Methodology
 Interviews with experts in the related field
 On the basis of their experiences and discussions
questionnaires were developed along with the Samarthyam
(National Centre for Barrier Free Environment)
 On the basis of the experience shared with the experts of
Vulnerable group including Children with Disabilities (Cw.D)
school children of two schools i.e. Blue Bell School and special
school Action for Ability Development and Inclusion (A.A.D.I.),
formerly Spastics Society of Northern India were selected for the
present study.
 Moreover, about 500 meters approach/around school premises of
both the schools were selected for the study for identification of
different access barriers near school premises
 Then data of opinion survey were gathered in order to gain a
detailed depiction of the teachers and students experiences of
being pedestrian.
 The data were eventually grouped and organized, which were
synthesized and summarized into an interpretive framework.
Interviews with experts in the related
field
 Opinion by the Experts from the
Sense International
 Opinion by the Experts from the
Action for Autism
 Opinion by the Experts from
Muskaan Representative (Parent
Association for the Welfare of
Children with Mental Handicap)
 Observations by Traffic Police
Personnel
Why These School’s Were
Chosen?

 This road stretch is very much area of concern for safety

aspect as this area joins three schools (Bluebells School
International, Tagore International School, and Government
School) and one college (Lady Sri Ram College)
 ACCESS AUDIT OF
BLUEBELLS SCHOOL
INTERNATIONAL OUT SIDE
SCHOOL
S.No. Audited Area
1 Footpath
2 Road Signs
3 Parking Facilities
4 Problems of Encroachment ( if any)
5 Bus Stand Facilities
6 Entrance to the school
7 Road side accessible features
 Observation of Footpaths
Characteristic

i. Pathways were not wide enough to cater the needs

of pedestrians even wheeling space was not
provided for a wheelchair user.
ii. Surface of the footpath was not even, not
continuous, without appropriate warning and
guided tiles for the persons with disabilities.
Other Observed Problems
 Zebra crossing are not designed between Gate –I and Gate-II and near
Gate-III of the school so that children are facing difficulty in cross

 Garbage area near Gate –III is situated which is inviting cattles which
are creating havoc to ongoing traffic and also dangerous for
children. Recently it has come in the Newspaper ref: HT, June 2008
that a cow gored to death an elderly person.

 NO PARKING SIGN is not placed adjoining to the school wall.

 Speed limit sign /red blinker are not introduced from both of the side
of the school.
Observation of Road
Signs/Signals
 Road sign related to school ahead
was absent

 Road sign of No Parking (near

school gate) was not present.

 Traffic signals near Gate III were

not properly visible
Observation of Bus Stand
Facilities

• Manual Assistance was required by passengers for crossing the

road
• No Textual/ audio cues were present for identifying bus stop and
passenger wait for the bus much before/beyond the exact
location of boarding
• No Bus Route map was provided so it was difficult to identify the
bus route and bus number
• Road users /passengers and passer by pedestrians were using
the road to walk and wait for the bus as condition of the bus
stand is not suitable for waiting inside the bus shelter (Bus
shelters’ roof).
• Curb cuts were lacking on the bus shelters on the both bus
stands (of both side of the road)
Unauthorized Parking

Adjacent walls of the school premises were blocked

with parked cars hence the school children,
teachers; other pedestrians using the pathways
were compelled to come on the road to face heavy
traffic.
Presence of Garbage Near Gate-
III
Presence of Garbage dump
near Gate –III was observed

 Stinky smell and Unhygienic

conditions causing threat to the
health of children and other road
users

and

 Cattles were attracted which

were creating safety hazards for
children
Problems of Encroachment on
Pedestrian Walking Area
 Use of cycle rickshaw as a mode of
transport
 Problems of Vendors

Vendors were creating encroachment problems

near pedestrian walkways and also block road side
areas
Children gather around those vendors near
school premises and collide with ongoing traffic
 RISK TAKING BEHAVIOUR
OBSEREVED NEAR SCHOOL
PREMISES
 Near the school though traffic of the
intersections were controlled by the
traffic signals and traffic police
personnel but risk taking practices
were often observed during the
survey like crossing the road
between ongoing traffic to save time
and reaching fast to the destinations
which increased the chances of
accidents.

 Pedestrians of all age groups,

genders, senior citizens, women with
children, school going children,
laborers with heavy loads were
observed to cross the road between
heavy ongoing traffic.
RISK TAKING BEHAVIOUR
OBSEREVED NEAR SCHOOL
PREMISES
Not Using Zebra Crossing While Crossing
the Road

 It has come out from the opinion

survey report that 82% of the
students do not use zebra crossing
while crossing the road during
school hours
 The reason behind this when asked
they said that they have to walk to
the end of the road to find zebra
crossing near their school premises.
THE OPINION SURVEY OF BLUE BELLS
SCHOOL STUDENTS

SAMPLE
Questionnaire was distributed
among 148 students i.e. 59 students
of 12 to 14 years age group and 89
students of 14 to 16 years age group
and 13 teachers also expressed their
views about the outside road
environment.
Mode of Transport

10
10
45

35
Private vehicles

School Bus

Walking

Other
 Opinion Survey of School
Children
S.NO. Question Options %

Q1a Do you have to cross the Arriving at the school 51

road while
Departure from the school 49

Q1b With Parents 79

With Teachers 1
How do you cross the road?
With Security Guards 1

With Senior Students 18

2 Do you cross the road from yes 18

zebra crossing
no 82
There is no Zebra crossing near
Why do you not cross from school premises 22
3 zebra crossing You have to walk to the end of the
road to find zebra crossing 78
 Do you think the road facing Very High Traffic Volume 53
to your school is having
4 High Traffic Volume 35
Medium Traffic Volume 9

Low Traffic Volume 3

5 Do you find Traffic Policemen Always 3
present near school Sometimes 40
premises while the Rarely 35
departure from your school Never 22
Very Aggressive 16
What is your observation Somewhat Aggressive 34
regarding the behavior of Neutral 47
6 motorists/drivers towards
Friendly 1
the pedestrian near your
school premises Very Friendly 1
8 Do other
pedestrians/road users Always 20 14
help you if you have any Sometimes 59 40
problem/fell accidently Rarely 27 18
on the road? Never 42 28
9 Always 34 23
Do traffic policemen Sometimes 30 20
help you if you fell Rarely 34 23
accidently on the road?
Never 50 34
10 Are there any footpath Yes 114 77
adjoining your school
premises? No 34 23
 How do you find walking on the Very Comfortable 7
11 footpath/road? Comfortable 32

Uncomfortable 44

Very Uncomfortable 18

Surface of the road is uneven 28

If your answer is "uncomfortable"
or "Very Uncomfortable" then why Full of Packed Cars 52
12 do you find walking difficult?

Not proper width for walking 16

Other please specify 4

How do children catch the bus Running 24

13 after the closure of the school
Walking 39
Queuing in the line 33

Other activity if any 4

 Running 36
How other children cross the road Walking 56
14
after the closure of the school Making Queuing 5

Other activity if any 2

Very aggressive/not yielding 13
Overall, how do you perceive the
15 Somewhat aggressive 34
road user behaviour towards you
and other children Neutral 49
Friendly 2

Very Friendly 2

Overall, how do you perceive the Very aggressive/not yielding 7

16
children's behaviour towards other
road users? Somewhat aggressive 15
Neutral 59
Friendly 12

Very Friendly 7
STUDY RESULTS OF TEACHERS
OBSERVATION
Item No. Description YES NO
%
%
1 Are the road crossing and
Lay outs appropriate for road width? 23 77
2 Is forward visibility of road crossing
acceptable? 46 54
3 Are school children be masked by
street furniture, guardrails, trees or
On-carriageway obstructions? 31 69
4 Are traffic signals visible to
Children? 54 46
5 Are there any pedestrian facilities sited?
0 100
6 Is the length of the green man phase present at
traffic signal if yes then is the time period is
appropriate? 46 54
STUDY RESULTS OF TEACHERS
OBSERVATION
Item Description YES NO
No. %
%
7 Street lights are appropriate at night?
54 46
8 Is additional lighting required?
77 23
9 Are dropped kerbs provided and well
located? 15 85
10 Is tactile paving for persons with vision
impairment provided? 0 100
11 Is there sufficient footway width for
pedestrian with prams available? 0 100
12 Is there sufficient footway width for
wheelchairs, crutch user/any other
mobility aid user? 0 100
STUDY RESULTS OF TEACHERS
OBSERVATION
Item Description YES NO
No. % %

13 Are crossing widths wide enough?

46 54
14 Are staggered facilities orientated "left/right"?

23 77
15 If staggered, will 'U' turn, left turn, right turn
vehicles conflict with pedestrians?
38 62
16 Is anti skid surfacing provided on footpath?
38 62
17 Do signal poles unduly Obstruct the footway?
31 69
18 Do signal poles have adequate clearance from the
carriageway? 38 62
STUDY RESULTS OF TEACHERS
OBSERVATION
Item No. Description YES NO
%
%
19 Do posts or rails have sharp edges, protrusions or
parts that can entrap children or mobility aid users? 62 38
20 Are inspection covers located in likely travel paths? 8 92
21 Are bus lane widths sufficient? 15 85
22 Are contra-flow bus lane clearly signed and
marked? 46 54
23 Are there adequate signs and markings? 46 54
24 Is the layout of any special bus signals adequate? 23 77
25 Are bus cages likely to cause obstruction? 23 77
26 Could the location of a bus stop force general traffic
to cross the centre line at unsafe locations? 23 77
27 Do the locations of any bus stops significantly affect
forward visibility? 54 46
28 Do the locations of any bus stops adversely affect
cycle tracks and shared paths? 54 46
29 Are there adequate waiting areas for pedestrians
around bus stops? 38 62
STUDY RESULTS OF TEACHERS
OBSERVATION
Item No. Description YES NO
% %
30 Do any parking obscure
children/pedestrian’s crossing points? 46 54
31 Does wrong side parking affect forward
visibility? 46 54
32 Does wrong side parking create an unsafe
chicane effect? 38 62
33 Does any side road parking cause
obstruction to entering/ aggressing traffic?
69 31
34 Do any parking obstruct inside "through"
lane where right turning takes place? 46 54
35 Does any parking obstructs crossovers or
dropped kerbs? 38 62
STUDY RESULTS OF TEACHERS
OBSERVATION
Item Description YES NO
No. % %
36 Does any parking obstruct cycle
facilities? 69 31
37 Are there any parking
Unsafely sited with respect to refuges? 46 54
38 Does any parking
create problems at bus stops? 69 31
39 Will evening/night time parking cause
obstruction? 54 46
40 Has the parking sufficient width to
enable the safe opening of a stopped
vehicle door? 31 69
STUDY RESULTS OF TEACHERS
OBSERVATION
Item Description YES NO
No. % %
1 Are road signs /markings near school
premises adequate and unambiguous? 31 69
2 Is there adequate provision for persons
with reduced mobility (specifically
children, the elderly) and persons with
disability? 15 85
3 Is vegetation/garbage likely to obstruct
sight lines, forward visibility or pedestrian
movement? 23 77
4 Is there any provision of anti-skid
surfacing at conflict points and bends
adequate? 23 77
Thank You
 Conclusion
 Learning from the policy development process,
besides legislation to accompany with practical
regulations & related policy, it is necessary to fulfill
the realization of barrier free living environment.
 Apart from the existing Government should introduce
new educational promotional funds at district and
villages about barrier free design, and integrate the
fields of law institution, academic research,
educational system and design, let enterprises,
government and academic be collaborated, in order to
promote the concept of barrier free design
environment.
 For enlarging the spectrum of barrier free
environment to welfare and health level, break
through traditionally conceptual structures of barrier
free environment, to integrate the concepts of barrier
free design environment into community
developmental process, and apply it into the sectors
of product development, information system and
services.

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