HOUSING ACCESSIBILITY: A STUDY OF RETROFITTING EFFICIENT RAMPS IN PUBLIC BUILDINGS IN KISUMU CITY, KENYA

Abstract

The recent past has seen an increased inquiry into the mobility of the aged and physically impaired persons in public buildings in Kenya. The rapidly growing population paralleled by an increase in the number of physically challenged people and the elderly has driven up the need for accessible housing. For this reason, the government of Kenya through the Persons with Disability Act (PDA) of 2003 has made it mandatory that all public buildings that do not have ramps be retrofitted with ramps. Despite this directive by the government of Kenya on the requirements for building accessibility, many public buildings in the study region do not have accessibility ramps. It is for this reason that the research was envisaged and conducted to determine the compliance with the PDA Act 2003 and the requirements for efficient ramp construction. The purpose of the study was to investigate the factors that hinder the incorporation of efficient ramps in some of the existing low-rise public buildings in Kisumu City, Kenya. A descriptive survey design was adopted, and data collected through semi-structured questionnaires and observation checklist. Descriptive statistics and inferential statistics (Chi-square test) were used to validate the outcome of the analysis which was performed using SPSS version 16. A significance level of 0.05 was used to determine the acceptance or rejection of the hypotheses. The study sample was selected through stratified and purposive sampling with a total of 53 participants and 48 existing public buildings forming part of the research. The findings showed that; public buildings in the study area had not complied with the requirements for efficient ramp construction. Also, some factors that impeded the retrofit of efficient ramps included inadequate guides on inclusive design, space requirements, strength of existing building and inadequate building inspection. Additionally, building owners and building inspectors considered retrofitting of ramps in public buildings possible. The study concluded that; many public buildings in the study region remain largely inaccessible to persons with mobility challenges. The available building documents, part of the building and architectural requirements impede the process of retrofitting ramps in public buildings. Building owners and building inspectors however considered the retrofit of ramps possible. The study recommends that; the Government of Kenya should consider reviewing the existing construction guides to include principles and specifications for construction of efficient ramps, promote housing accessibility principles through workshops and seminars and also, involve persons with disabilities in the drafting and implementation of policies relating to the construction industry