Latter-day businesses are making concerted efforts to create workspaces that are conducive to all types of individuals, and this includes persons with disabilities (PwD) as well. When it comes to designing office spaces for the differently-abled, certain standards must be adhered to. 99acres.com attempts to define a few of these.

The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, dictates that every office space must come equipped with facilities that allow employees who are Persons with Disabilities (PwD) to navigate through work with ease. This approach is further gaining steam, now that the Accessible India Campaign (AIC), also known as the Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan, is in full swing across the country to bring about universal accessibility for the differently-abled in homes, public places and the workplace.

Office space designers need to recognise disabled-friendly design as not just a necessity, but also a potential business opportunity. By integrating standards of the AIC in the built environment of the workplace, transport systems and information and communication eco-systems, the disabled can be given the opportunity to perform as well as any other individual at the workplace.

Disabled-friendly parking, wheelchair accessible doorways, ramps at entryways and exits of buildings, wide corridors and easy access to workstations, operating buttons with Braille in lifts, and accessible washrooms are some of the basic necessities that make a workplace disabled-friendly.  Other than the physical design of a workplace, educating the staff is also equally essential in helping the differently-abled have a comfortable office experience.

“It is vital, while designing a workspace for the disabled, to include basic features such as specialised restrooms, ample handrails and adjustable workstations. For helping visually impaired workers, housekeeping staff can be trained in sighted guiding, communication strategies, disability, or visual awareness training,” avers Tripat Girdhar, Founder, The Design Studio.

Regular access audits

Access audits ensure that the office infrastructure is in accordance with government guidelines. A trained professional recognised by the National Building Code (NBC) of India evaluates the infrastructure of the office building to identify accessibility barriers as well as good design and functionality that favours PwDs. The evaluator rates the infrastructure based on standards defined by two sets of guidelines:

  1. Harmonised Guidelines and Space Standards for Barrier-Free Built Environment for persons with Disability and Elderly Persons, 2016
  2. The National Building Code, 2016, especially Annex-B, Part-3 which examines accessibility in great detail

Assistive technology

The range of technologies that aid PwDs at the workplace has witnessed massive innovations. Here are some technologies that are aimed at helping with specific disabilities:

  • Next-generation computer screen readers that convert on-screen content into speech or a Braille output device which employs round-tipped pins raised through holes in a flat surface that acts as a refreshable Braille display
  • Workers with upper-body limitations can be helped with an exoskeletal arm that mimics natural human motion to assist in tasks on the assembly line or laboratory or even in office work
  • Sip-and-puff tools for people with Parkinson’s disease or quadriplegics, allowing them to send signals to a device using air pressure through a tube

Disabled restrooms

Some things to remember while designing restrooms for the differently-abled are:

  • Doors should ideally be outward opening with a horizontal handlebar at seat height
  • Emergency assistance alarms should be equipped with Braille-typed buttons
  • An AIC compliant restroom that exceeds the dimensions 2200 mm x 1500 mm would be apt as it would allow a large enough turning circle for a wheelchair-bound individual

The workstation

For wheelchair-bound PwDs, a regular ergonomic work desk is cumbersome to navigate around. That is where customised workstations for the disabled come handy. Some examples are:

  • Height and angle-adjustable writing desks that can be adjusted electrically or with a hand crank mechanism and casters
  • Quad-desks which come with only two legs and no cross beams to allow a wheelchair to lock in comfortably

Educating the staff about disabilities

While including this part of the population in their workforce, employers often do not have the prerequisite understanding to make the differently-abled feel comfortable and at the same time, independent as well. The first differentiating factor to a person’s disability is whether the said disability is of a visible nature or not.

Disabilities such as cognitive dysfunction, learning hindrances and hearing and vision impairment are not always apparent at first glance. The staff must be sensitised about the subtleties of such disabilities to better communicate with such an individual to provide assistance effectively without hurting any sentiments in the bargain.

Social discrimination and a dearth of job opportunities are only some of the issues faced by PwDs on a daily basis. Integrating standards of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, across all workplaces, businesses and public agencies can bring ease to a critical part of the lives of these individuals.