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Stream/Area:
-
Subject:
-
Paper ID:
IJSREM66551
Volume:
10 |
8 |
Aug 2026
Pages:
1-9
Publication Frequency:
Monthly (12 issues per year)
License:International Journal of Scientific Research in Engineering and Management follows the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (CC BY 4.0) License, allowing free use and distribution with proper attribution.
Architecture
IPS Academy Indore
Architecture
IPS Academy Indore
Architecture
IPS Academy Indore
ABSTRACT Healthcare accessibility is critical to achieving safe, equitable, and quality healthcare for all. People access a hospital with varied physical, sensory, and cognitive abilities, including persons with disabilities, older persons, patients, caregivers, healthcare professionals, and visitors. Therefore, accessibility should be considered a fundamental aspect of healthcare planning and not an additional design requirement. Even though India has framed various regulations for accessible design, such as the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPwD) Act, 2016, the National Building Code (NBC) 2016, and the Harmonised Guidelines and Standards for Universal Accessibility (2021), relevant provisions are spread across multiple documents. This often makes it difficult for architects and planners to locate the provisions and apply them uniformly during the design process. This research, therefore, attempts to frame the Accessibility Toolkit for Healthcare Architecture in India by bringing these dispersed legislations under one single design-oriented framework. This study is based on a qualitative review of accessibility legislation, Universal Design principles, healthcare planning standards, and relevant published literature on accessible healthcare environments. Based on the qualitative review, the toolkit is structured into nine key domains: site planning, building access, circulation, vertical transportation, patient care areas, sanitary facilities, sensory accessibility, emergency preparedness, and communication systems. The toolkit will be a practical guide for architects and healthcare planners while planning and designing a healthcare facility. It will provide a simple and organized layout of accessibility requirements, thus enabling their consideration from the very beginning of the design stage rather than as a last-minute compliance exercise. In the long run, the framework will enable the development of more inclusive, user-friendly healthcare environments that serve all users' needs and increase uniformity in healthcare design across India.
KEYWORDS
Accessibility is a fundamental aspect of healthcare architecture because it directly influences the safety, independence, dignity, and overall experience of patients, healthcare professionals, caregivers, and visitors. The literature reviewed in this study indicates that India has a comprehensive legal and technical framework to support accessible design. However, because the relevant requirements are dispersed across different acts, codes, and guidelines, architects often face practical challenges when trying to apply them consistently during healthcare planning. To address this gap, this research presents an Accessibility Toolkit for Healthcare Architecture in India that brings together healthcare planning standards, accessibility regulations, and the principles of Universal Design within a single framework. Organised into nine accessibility domains, the toolkit is intended to support architects and other stakeholders in integrating accessibility throughout the planning and design process rather than considering it only as a compliance requirement at the end of a project. Although the proposed toolkit is conceptual, it establishes a practical foundation for improving accessibility in future healthcare projects. Further research could strengthen the framework by applying it to real hospital projects, evaluating its effectiveness through case studies, and refining it based on feedback from architects, healthcare professionals, and regulatory authorities. Such developments would help transform the toolkit into a practical decision-support resource that contributes to more inclusive, equitable, and patient-centred healthcare environments across India.
· Bureau of Indian Standards. (2016). National Building Code of India 2016 (Part 3: Development Control Rules and General Building Requirements). New Delhi: Bureau of Indian Standards. · Government of India. (2016). The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016. Ministry of Law and Justice. · Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs. (2021). Harmonised Guidelines and Standards for Universal Accessibility in India. Government of India. · Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. (2022). Indian Public Health Standards (IPHS): Guidelines for District Hospitals. Government of India. · Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. (2022). Indian Public Health Standards (IPHS): Guidelines for Medical Colleges and Teaching Institutions. Government of India. · Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. (2022). Accessibility Standards for Healthcare Facilities. Government of India. · Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. (2018). Accessible India Campaign (Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan): Operational Guidelines. Government of India. · Central Public Works Department. (2021). Guidelines and Space Standards for Barrier-Free Built Environment for Disabled and Elderly Persons. Government of India. · National Institute of Urban Affairs. (2020). Universal Accessibility Guidelines for Urban Infrastructure. New Delhi: NIUA. · NITI Aayog. (2021). Health System for New India: Building Blocks – Potential Pathways to Reforms. Government of India. · World Health Organization. (2011). World Report on Disability. Geneva: World Health Organization. · World Health Organization. (2022). Global Report on Health Equity for Persons with Disabilities. Geneva: World Health Organization. · International Organization for Standardization. (2021). ISO 21542: Accessibility and Usability of the Built Environment. Geneva: ISO. · Steinfeld, E., & Maisel, J. (2012). Universal Design: Creating Inclusive Environments. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons. · Ulrich, R. S., Zimring, C., Zhu, X., DuBose, J., Seo, H. B., Choi, Y. S., Quan, X., & Joseph, A. (2008). A review of the research literature on evidence-based healthcare design. Health Environments Research & Design Journal, 1(3), 61–125.
Publication Date
8/6/2026
Peer Review Type
Double-Blind Peer Review
Review Rounds: 2
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The authors declare no conflict of interest related to this research work.
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