Design that is effective for all

India’s National Building Code (NBC) is among the country’s most exceptional documents. The collaborative efforts of architects, designers, engineers, policymakers, and importantly, individuals with disabilities, the code is founded on the tenets of universal design. Serving as the ‘Constitution’ for the Indian construction sector, the NBC is compulsory for all structures in the nation. Adherence is necessary to secure construction permits and official authorization.

Nonetheless, during a recent seminar on the NBC in Noida, attendees expressed surprise as, despite the event taking place in a training centre built by the Bureau of Indian Standards, the structure failed to meet the standards outlined by the NBC. No available restrooms, no specific areas for wheelchairs in the seminar space, no universal symbols. Rather, in outright breach of the regulations, it featured slick floors, inadequate lighting, poorly constructed ramps, and seats that closed before you could sit down.

The irony was astounding. Following the publication of the book on essential standards for construction in India, the organization disregarded the majority of them.

In the United States, injured veterans coming back from World War II in the late 1940s rejected their new identity as disabled individuals and would not remain passive on the sidelines. They started to request education, training, and access. It began with a simple request: a notch in the edge of a city sidewalk (the small ramps commonly found in various cities) to allow them to access the walkway with their wheelchairs.

Urban planners frequently rejected these appeals, claiming they never observed individuals with disabilities in the streets. The earliest recorded case of an official curb cut occurred in Kalamazoo, Michigan, in 1945. However, a single curb ramp couldn’t ignite the extensive transformation that the issue needed.

It took 30 years for activists, frustrated with begging, to finally take control of the situation. In Berkeley, California, individuals with disabilities used sledgehammers to demolish curbs, mixed their own cement, and constructed improvised curb ramps.

The moment was finally appropriate. Across the nation, longstanding systems were being challenged as movements for free speech, non-violence, civil rights, and women’s liberation gained momentum after decades. The straightforward principle of accessibility gained traction, and curb cuts became a common element of urban planning across the United States.

All the others—whether parents with strollers, travelers with rolling bags, children on tricycles, or individuals carrying heavy gear—quickly understood how much simpler their own lives had turned out to be. Eliminating a redundant barrier is simply effective design.

Although local building regulations have existed for centuries in municipalities worldwide, by the 1970s, the majority of countries, including India, had developed detailed national building codes that took into account new materials, demographic expansion, and a growing focus on safety. Even though access was included in the national code, it was an appendix, providing unclear guidance instead of legal requirements. Regional codes coexisted, creating opportunities for those seeking to evade any hints of fairness.

Beginning in 2010, disabled advocates, legal specialists, and access advisors in India initiated a focused effort to consolidate current guidelines into a single document. Disabled advocates Shivani Gupta and Anjlee Agarwal, along with Supreme Court attorney Subhash Chandra Vashishth and architect Gaurav Raheja, diligently collaborated to create the 2016 NBC, which includes extensive accessibility standards that are now legislated in all states and union territories. A more detailed code is anticipated to be finalized by the end of 2025.

When adhered to, the code enhances life for everyone. Design that is beneficial for everyone will also benefit you—not just at the moment, when you might be healthy, active, and capable of doing everything independently, but also in your later years. It will be useful during an emergency when you need to quickly and safely leave your building, especially when your hands are occupied and you must use your elbow to open a door. Good design means you’re rearranging furniture and the entrance is spacious enough to fit it, and when you remain upright and don’t trip because your kitchen uses slip-resistant tiles.