Audit of more than 120 public parks in Bengaluru finds accessibility gaps

An audit of more than 120 public parks across Bengaluru has found gaps in accessibility across entrances, pathways, facilities, signage and play areas.

Only 34.8% of the surveyed parks allow wheelchair users to enter without encountering a barrier.

The survey was conducted by Pacta, a Bengaluru-based law firm and policy think tank, which launched Bengaluru Parks Observatory, an interactive dashboard which includes the survey findings.

According to the organisation, it is India’s first citizen-audited accessibility dashboard for public parks.

Findings

Between June and July, volunteers physically visited the parks and assessed each against a common accessibility checklist created by Pacta. The checklist covers entrances, pathways, signage, play areas, maintenance, facilities and operations. Every submission was geotagged and mapped to its municipal corporation.

Among the surveyed parks, only 36.2% have a ramp at the entrance, and 46.4% have a step-free main entrance. Around 62% have pathways smooth enough for independent wheelchair use, and 71% are free of obstructions such as parked vehicles, vendors or debris.

When it comes to sanitation, only 29.5% have toilets, of which 61% are accessible. Only 5.4% have handwashing facilities, and 10.9% have drinking water. While 81.9% have entrance signage, only 10.6% have a park map. Around 73% have play equipment, and 75.5% of that equipment can be used at least partly across ability levels.

Live dashboard

“Accessibility is really about whether anyone can step out of their home and use the shared spaces of their city with ease and dignity. This audit gives Bengaluru an honest starting point. There is a good foundation in many parks, and there are clear gaps that can be closed with the right attention and resources. We see this data as a common map rather than a verdict, and our hope is that the city, funders and residents will use it together,” said Nivedita Krishna, founder, Pacta.

The team members noted that the observatory, available at parks.pacta.in/dashboard, will remain a continuously updated record of accessibility across Bengaluru’s public parks with the help of citizens and volunteers.