KATHMANDU, Dec13: Public buildings and other infrastructure built in the Kathmandu Valley are least accessible to differently-abled people, according to a report prepared by a non-governmental organization (NGO).
An audit report prepared by the National Federation of Disabled, Nepal which was made public amid a program conducted in the capital on Wednesday showed none of the 150 samples taken within the Valley were found to be accessible to the physically challenged people. Out of 150 samples, 132 samples were found to be 'not accessible' and 18 samples were 'partially accessible'. The research was conducted in ten different areas representing the overall situation of accessibility in the Valley.
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None of the samples out of the total 27 taken in public service sectors within the Valley were found 'accessible'. Out of them, 25 were found 'not accessible' and 2 were 'partially accessible'. Likewise, 16 out of 17 samples in the health sector were found to be inaccessible while 17 out of 25 samples in the education sector were found inaccessible.
In the public toilet sector, which is considered very important, a total of 14 samples were taken out of which 11 were not accessible for differently-abled people and three were partially accessible. None of the 13 samples taken in the transport sector were found to be accessible to the physically challenged.
Speaking at a function organized to present the report on accessibility in the capital on Wednesday, mayor of Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) Bidya Sundar Shakya said, “We are facing problems in creating space for the physically challenged. But we have already started finding out solution for the issue.”
He added that the KMC has planned to implement the rule that every public and the commercial building should be differently-abled friendly. He also said that the challenge the metropolis faces is to manage old buildings which are not friendly to the differently abled people.
