Campaign partner- Virali Modi

Decision Makers-

Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani

Ministry of Public Works, Maharashtra

Persons with Disabilities Welfare Department, Government of Maharashtra

Demands-

1. Ensure all new roads, footpaths, and public spaces have proper ramps, tactile paving, and obstruction-free pathways.

2. Make all new public buildings and transit points fully accessible with ramps, elevators, and signage.

3. Create an accountability mechanism – a publicly available list of upcoming projects with accessibility commitments. This will help ensure transparency!

4. Make public transport universally accessible, including buses, metros and local trains

5. Consult people with disabilities during project planning to ensure real, usable accessibility and inclusion.

6. Set clear deadlines for completion and accessibility audits to ensure timelines are adhered to.

For months, Mumbai has been a maze of dug-up roads and half-finished footpaths. But as the city undergoes massive upgrades, one crucial element is missing – accessibility!

The delays are frustrating for everyone, but for persons with disabilities, they are completely disabling. Without proper ramps, elevators, or obstruction-free pathways, Mumbai remains an unlivable city for many.

Under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPwD) Act, 2016, the BMC is legally required to ensure accessibility in all public infrastructure. Yet, Mumbai’s streets, footpaths, and transit hubs remain inaccessible, violating both the law and basic human rights.

In 2023, the BMC launched a new project called ‘Samavesh’ to make the city inclusive and accessible for persons with disabilities. To pilot the project, 10 wards were selected to enhance accessibility. It was also decided that each selected ward will have at least one municipal garden, school, and hospital made accessible, incorporating features like ramps, wheelchair-friendly washrooms, parking, and signage for the visually impaired. Modifications were also planned for other recreational areas like gardens. While the BMC has shown a willingness to work towards building an inclusive Mumbai, however, what good do these modifications serve when roads and footpaths are not accessible?

‘You can make gardens etc as accessible as you want but if the roads and footpaths aren’t accessible, what’s the point?’ – Virali Modi, disability rights activist

The Central Public Works Department introduced the ‘Harmonised Guidelines and Standards for Universal Accessibility (2021)’ with an aim to ensure public infrastructure in India is accessible for everyone across urban spaces, transportation and government buildings. Universal accessibility draws ‘equality’ in principle from the Article 14 of the Indian Constitution and the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act (2016). However, despite these legal mandates, infrastructure in Mumbai is not accessible for everyone. 

Now that Mumbai is being rebuilt, why not make it inclusive and accessible once and for all?

We are urging the BMC, the Public Works Department and the Persons with Disabilities Welfare Department to take immediate action. Accessible and inclusive infrastructure cannot remain an afterthought.

Every road, footpath, bus stop, and public space must meet universal accessibility standards before they are declared complete. The tenets of the Persons with Disabilities Act (2016) must be followed and enforced. 

Let’s build a city that leaves no one behind. #MumbaiRampsUp

Sources:
1. How do persons with disability feel about public transport in Mumbai? - Citizen Matters
2. Guidelines for Universal Accessibility
3. BMC launches inclusivity plan for differently abled Mumbai