title: Facilities for the disabled in the commercial districts of Bangkok--are they adequate?
abstract: Equal rights for the disabled are widely accepted, at least in principle. Basic public facilities for these people are minimum requirements. We performed a cross-sectional descriptive survey of three basic facilities (wheelchair ramps, elevators and modified toilet) in public buildings, of more than 5 floors in the Silom and Siam business areas of Bangkok. Of a total of 62 buildings surveyed, no building had all three facilities. The slope ramps, elevators and modified toilets were found in 26, 49, and 1 buildings respectively. Facilities for the disabled in this area of Bangkok were inadequate. All public buildings should provide appropriate facilities: special legislation may be warranted.
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand.
authors.forename: Weerachit
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Waenlor
authors.forename: Viroj
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Wiwanitkit
authors.forename: Jamsai
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Suwansaksri
authors.forename: Suphan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Soogarun
mesh_terms: D001107:Architectural Accessibility; D002958:City Planning; D003132:Commerce; D006233:Persons with Disabilities; D005160:Facility Design and Construction; D006801:Humans; D013785:Thailand; D014505:Urban Population