The Universal Accessibility Provisions in Hospitals of New Delhi, India
Authors: Singh Raja , Bohora Laxmi , Madaan Nirupam 
Published: December 2022

BACKGROUND
In developing countries like India, it has been observed that Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) may have reduced access to health services compared to their counterparts. India is a signatory to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) due to which it has formulated the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act (RPwDs) 2016 to promote the idea of equality and non-discrimination for persons with disabilities. The study’s objective is to identify the present accessibility status of public hospitals in Delhi as per the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Rules, 2017. The study also evaluates government hospitals’ compliance with the five-year time limit from the date of enforcement on 15 June 2017, which was imposed by the Central Government to make all existing infrastructure accessible as per the RPwDs Act, 2016- the due date of which expired on 15 June 2022. The Right to Information Act (RTI), 2005 has been used as the primary research tool to obtain information that is accessible under the open public domain. The study’s findings showed that most hospitals were aware of the RPwDs Act of 2016, yet only 14 admitted to making all their buildings accessible as per the five-year deadline. The study found that the public hospitals in Delhi have not fully undergone the necessary upgrades to create an accessible and barrier-free environment for persons with disabilities as per the RPwDs.

AIMS
The study aims to identify the current status of public hospitals in Delhi regarding compliance with accessibility standards for a barrier-free physical environment, equal opportunities, appropriate information features, and communication on the internet for persons with disabilities as per the RPwDs Act, 2016.

SETTINGS AND DESIGN/METHODS
The RTI Act of 2005, was used to request information accessible under the open public domain from 32 public hospitals in Delhi regarding compliance with accessibility standards of the built environment, including the provisions of equal opportunities and access to information as per the RPwDs Rules, 2017. Only government hospitals were taken for the study as they fall under the purview of the RTI Act unlike the private hospitals. The main limitation of the study is that the authors have only relied upon verified sources for information accessible under the open public domain as per the RTI Act, 2005 provided directly by the hospital. Future studies to verify the on-ground reality may be performed.

RESULTS
A total of 32 public hospitals in Delhi were approached for the study, and only 26 responded under the RTI Act. After compiling the results, it was identified that 22 hospitals out of 26 were aware of section 45 regarding the time limit of the RPwDs Act, 2016. 14 of the 26 responded to being accessible, while 11 acknowledged being in the process of upgrading their built infrastructure to be accessible. 15 of the 26 responded having PwDs on the payroll, while six responded negatively. Only eight of the 26 hospitals accepted having features for accessible websites, and seven of the 26 answered that they did not have a website at all.

CONCLUSION
The study disclosed that most hospitals were aware of the RPwDs Act. The majority of the hospitals responded to being compliant with accessibility standards in the built environment. However, only eight responded having accessible websites. This showcases that there is a requirement for improvements in universal accessibility of built environment and information along with the provision of equal opportunities for PwDs in public hospitals.