Should Public Buildings Be Exclusive? A Study of Selected Institutional Buildings in Minna, Niger State.

Abstract

Some individuals are born with a deformity also known as disability whereas others may become permanently or temporarily disabled over the course of their lives. Buildings should not be made to judge who comes in and goes out of its spaces. A good design must be accessible to all individuals, especially when discussing public buildings. An educational building is a public building and “education for all” is a common dictum that refers to all individuals irrespective of current status. Disabled individuals especially those in wheelchairs have special needs and requirements however, most Institutional buildings do not portray this equality with regards to their design; instead these designs ostracize individuals with disabilities. A survey was carried out on the existing special educational facility and forty four (44) randomly selected institutions of learning located in Minna, the capital of Niger State. They were further categorised based on funding; Federal, state or privately funded institutions. The survey showed that individuals with physical disabilities in Minna were not attending the special educational school and even if they were, facilities were not put in place to accommodate them also, despite the support by the Nigerian government on the equalisation of opportunities for people with disabilities, the public educational system have yet to factor in or retrofit designs to suit disabled individuals in their designs. This paper further highlighted these abnormalities in design and probable causes and concluded by recommending possible solutions.