Urban Sustainability and Disability

Sustainable city and person with disabilities are closely related to each other. Now the day’s world is changing day by day. Everyday technology becomes upgraded. Our thinking power increases. At present person with disabled are also work with us and they get equal opportunities. They bother their accessibility everywhere. It may ensure their physical and social involvement in our urban life. Their key aspects are illustrating below:

Accessibility as a cornerstone of sustainability 

Built Environment:

It is necessary to build an accessible environment. It includes buildings, transportation and public spaces. The features should be ramps, elevators, accessibility restroom and accessible public toilet, schools etc.

One study finds that ensuring accessible and economically viable public transportation service is crucial for advancing transportation equity, particularly for individuals with disabilities (Eisenberg et al., 2020; Park et al., 2022).

Social inclusion:

Social inclusion is also vital besides physical accessibility. It's about creating a society where they are valued, respected and can fully participate in all areas of life including education, employment, healthcare and social activities. Sameh Wahba is the Regional Director for Sustainable Development at the World Bank's Europe and Central Asia region. He says in an interview (2018), "ensuring access to transport and infrastructure, but also in the sense of creating opportunities for all, in particular for persons with disabilities. "

Sustainable Urban Planning:

Sustainable urban planning for the disabled focuses on creating accessible. Inclusive, and equitable urban environments that meet the needs of all residents, including those with disabilities. This involves integrating accessibility into all aspects of urban design, from infrastructure and transportation to housing and public spaces.

According to the World Bank and the WHO, globally, there are over 1 billion, or around 15 % of the world population, living with a disability. Available evidence reveals that for the more than 1 billion persons worldwide living with a disability, there has been a lack of accessibility in urban environments in many parts of the world.

Fig: Foot over bridge ramp for disabled people at Savar, Dhaka

The benefits of inclusion

Economic participation: 

Inclusion empowers individuals, reduces poverty, and boosts economic growth by tapping into a previously underutilized talent pool. It also fosters a more diverse and innovative workforce, enhancing societal well-being and reducing the burden on social safety nets. 

 Zivolich, Shueman and Weiner (1997) assessed the benefit: cost implications of making greater use of co-workers in supporting disabled people in work. They trained Pizza Hut restaurant managers to act as job coaches instead of external agency staff. Seventy-five percent of the supported workers in the study sample of 59 workers had a severe learning disability. The study identifies a net benefit: cost ratio with returns of 1.21 for taxpayers and 1.46 for society. This model appears to create good cost: benefit outcomes three years before 

Similar outcomes are seen from programmers using external job coaching arrangements.

Social Cohesion:

When people with disabilities are included in urban life, it fosters a more vibrant and cohesive community, where everyone feels a sense of belonging. 

Evidence strongly suggests that social inclusion significantly improves the social cohesion and wellbeing of individuals with disabilities, while also benefiting society as a whole.

Environmental Sustainability:

Accessible and inclusive cities can promote more sustainable practices, such as reduced reliance on private vehicles, increased use of public transportation, and greater access to green spaces.

Resilience:

A sustainable and inclusive city is a more resilient city. Prioritizing accessibility, inclusivity and resilience in city planning etc. are needed for proper sustainability.  

One study shows, People with disabilities are two to four times more likely to be hurt or die in climate-related disasters such as heatwaves, wildfires and floods.

Key Challenges:

Lack of Awareness: Urban planner and policy makers are not aware bout difficulty of disabled people. That’s why when they plan any types of construction they don’t think about their facilities like ramp, grab rails, agronomical set up and any other types of modification. Recent research on non-designers’ points to tacit design knowledge among those who have no educational or professional design experience (Wakkary, 2005). So far, however, this knowledge is hardly exploited in the design process.

Financial Constraints:

Implementing accessibility measures can require significant financial investment, which can be a barrier for some cities.

Lack of Political Will:

Lack of strong political will and leadership inclusive urban is not possible. According to Vandevyvere & Neuckermans (2005,) A common route to address the problem outlined above is to call in political support and enforce sustainable practices through adequate policy strategies

Moving Forward:

Inclusive Design:

Ensure universal design in urban planning and recruit qualified manpower and make the urban accessible in ever were. In the US, inclusive design is often used interchangeably with universal design to label a design approach that implies equity and social justice by design (Ostroff, 2001).

Community Engagement:

Involve the disabled people in urban planning and their decision must be prioritized to make accessible environment.

Target Investment:

Prioritizing investments in accessible infrastructure and services can have a significant impact on the lives of people with disabilities and contribute to a more sustainable city.

To sum up, it is clearly identified that a planned sustainable urban development needs a holistic approach. It can be more beneficial if priority is given to accessibility issues, inclusion and community engagement.