Public Buildings and Facilities Challenges for Disabled Residents of Port City Nigeria

International Journal of Research and Scientific Innovation (IJRSI) | Volume VII, Issue VII, July 2020 | ISSN 2321–2705

Public Buildings and Facilities Challenges for Disabled Residents of Port City Nigeria

Ubani Princewill^1*, Bumaa Felix Neeka², Ayagere Selete Ayebaemi³, Amakiri-whyte Belema Henry⁴, Kpalap Elgior M⁵, Naabura, Macwilliam Kingdom^6
1Department of Urban and Regional Planning, Kenule Beeson Saro-wiwa Polytechnic Bori Nigeria
^{2 ,3,4,5}Department of Architecture, Kenule Beeson Saro-wiwa Polytechnic Bori Nigeria
⁶Department of Estate Management, Kenule Beeson Saro-wiwa Polytechnic Bori Nigeria

Abstract: Against the background of the increasing problems of non-universality of public buildings resulting from the failure of various governmental agencies and inabilities of built environment professionals to consider the important and helpful facilities for the physically challenged in public buildings, the paper attempt to survey public buildings and effect of its deficient facilities on physically challenged facet of Port Harcourt population. Descriptive survey design was adopted for examination. The population comprised 500 public buildings through 23 neighbourhoods of Port Harcourt environs, Nigeria. A total of 100 public buildings were selected using the appropriate stratified random sampling technique. Public buildings and challenging relation of people with disabilities questionnaire (PBCRPDQ) was employed for data collection. The data collected were analysed using standard deviation and chi-square of goodness-of- fit for test at 0.05 significance level. The findings revealed that slop ramp (0.67), width of doors and manicure, wheelchair ramp and hand rail and guard rail etc are the necessary facilities lacking in the public buildings. In addition, the analysis publicized that deficiency of important facilities in public building had negative effect on people with disabilities at (x² = 126.44, df 1, p = 0.05>0.00). Based on the findings of this research, it was recommended among other things that the government should take prompt action to resolve issues responsible for non-inclusion of crucial facilities that enhanced the accessibility of public buildings by the physically challenge persons especially at the planning and construction stages of such public buildings irrespective of the location and sizes.

I. INTRODUCTION

The ability to design and implement public buildings in urban settings of the world encompasses a bulky monetary obligation that, in many circumstances, determine continuously the eminence of public buildings, its universality before the city populace, chances and such buildings developmental processes that form our urban spaces in significant ways. Swotting on these buildings can disclose abundant deal concerning the challenges, expectancy and design contents of public buildings in developing nations. In addition, the unfair and undying challenges that such building reveal on the side of the physically disabled makes a comprehending of those challenges imperative for physical planning and construction of universal public buildings and its environs (survey 2020).

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