For many people with disabilities, the everyday reality is filled with obstacles that remain invisible to most. Inaccessible roads, unreliable public transport, and poorly implemented laws create barriers that restrict opportunities, independence, and dignity.
Take the story of Pustika Prajapati. She lost her vision after completing grade 12 due to corneal problems. “When I step outside, I walk carefully,” she explains. Her vision started deteriorating in grade 8, but she learned to adapt. “The roads have potholes and living in Bhaktapur is even hard because of the brick roads and gallis, but I have been managing till now,” she says.
Transportation and negotiating with city traffic, however, is another story. Zebra crossings are particularly dangerous because there is no voice system to assist. “Once, I asked a man to give me a reserved seat on the bus. He refused, and the conductor didn’t help either,” she recalls.
For Nar Bahadur Bista, a member of the Dwarf Association of Nepal, daily life comes with physical challenges that most people take for granted. Public transport, stairs, and even simple furniture like chairs or toilets are not designed for someone of his stature. “Getting on and off buses is difficult. Stairs, public toilets, chairs, and even kitchens are not made for people like me,” he says.
Hospital visits are also a challenge for Bista, as beds, counters, and chairs are not accessible.
These are not isolated cases. Across Nepal, inaccessible roads, vehicles, buildings, and services create an invisible prison for people with disabilities. These stories reveal the hidden cost of inaccessibility—lost education, lost jobs, and opportunities.
Sugam Bhattarai, general secretary of the National Federation of the Disabled Nepal (NFDN) and a person living with macular degeneration—a condition that causes blurred or no vision in the central visual field—points out how poor infrastructure creates daily struggles. “Nepal’s roads are very bad,” he says. “They are too narrow for wheelchairs or four-wheeler scooters, and people are scared to use them on the main roads. Public infrastructure must be equipped with the latest accessibility features so that people with disabilities can move independently and with dignity.”
According to the Nepal Census 2021, 2.2 percent of Nepal’s population live with some form of disability. Among them, 2.5 percent are men and 2.0 percent are women. The prevalence of various types of disabilities is as follows: physical disabilities (36.75 percent), low vision (16.88 percent), blindness (5.37 percent), deafness (7.85 percent), hard of hearing (7.87 percent), combined deaf and blind (1.56 percent), speech impairment (6.36 percent), psycho-social disabilities (4.2 percent), intellectual disabilities (1.73 percent), hemophilia (0.75 percent), autism (0.75 percent), multiple disabilities (8.78 percent), and cases not specified (1.07 percent).
Globally, the World Health Organization estimates that excluding people with disabilities from education and employment can cost countries 3–7 percent of their GDP. In India, billions are lost annually because talented workers are sidelined. For Nepal, the cost of exclusion is staggering.
Binita Regmi, chairperson of National Association of the Physical Disabled (NAPD), says that a lot has changed within months as people have been aware, many people have been coordinating well.
For visually impaired persons like Prajapati, college presents another battlefield. “I study in a normal classroom, but the noise and disturbances make it hard to focus,” she says. “My friends say that I ask too many questions. I also need a writer for exams, but it’s hard to find one, and extra time isn’t provided.”
She emphasizes the need for tactile pavements–designed with raised lines, domes, or other textured patterns to convey safety information to people who are blind, have low vision, or experience other visual impairments or guiding tiles, sound systems at crossings, and accessible educational materials—resources that are rarely available.
“Laws exist, but they are not implemented. We have rights, but they are not enforced,” she says.
Nepal has legal frameworks intended to protect and empower persons with disabilities. The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2017 mandates accessible public buildings, transport, and services. Building codes require ramps, accessible toilets, and inclusive designs.
Section 15 guarantees access to education, housing, workplaces, transportation, and electronic services for people with disabilities. It also states that disabled individuals have the right to move freely with the assistance of aides or devices of their choosing.
Section 12 of the 2020 Regulations on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities mandates a 50 percent discount on public transport fares and reserved seats for people with disabilities. The National Policy on Persons with Disabilities, 2023, further emphasizes that transportation must be accessible and disabled-friendly.
But implementation remains weak. An audit of government buildings in Kathmandu revealed steep ramps too narrow for wheelchairs, lifts without Braille buttons, and toilets lacking sufficient turning space.
Bista says dwarfism is simply grouped under disability without special consideration. “Rules and regulations are made without consulting us, so facilities fail to meet our needs,” he adds.
Bista advocates for inclusive planning, where persons with dwarfism and other disabilities are consulted to create fair and functional solutions.
His case highlights that accessibility is not only a matter of physical infrastructure but also of thoughtful policy-making that considers the diversity of disability experiences. Without inclusive planning, even minor design decisions—like the height of a counter or step of a bus—can become insurmountable barriers.
Government and transport officials acknowledge the gaps. Bhupendra Aryal, CEO of Sajha Yatayat, says the company has 111 buses in operation and 65 of them are disability-friendly. He admits some buses still need to be replaced or reformed. “As a new CEO, I have received many complaints highlighting these issues. We have two types of buses—A and B grade—where disabled passengers can travel more freely, but they need to become more accessible and relevant. We are actively working to address these concerns,” he says.
Similarly, Saligram Poudel from the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport (MoPIT) says the ministry has been working with the concerned agencies to make public transport more disability-friendly. “A specific fleet of buses with proper facilities will be introduced soon to address these needs,” he says. Kamala Ghimire, under secretary at the Ministry of Women, Children and Senior Citizens (MoWCSC), acknowledges that accessibility remains a major challenge in Nepal due to poor infrastructure. She notes while about 2.2 percent of the population is living with disabilities, many of them are not visibly disabled, yet still face significant difficulties—particularly when using public buses. She stresses that traffic authorities, bus staff, and coordinators must ensure proper management of seats and respect the rights and regulations that guarantee accessibility for persons with disabilities.
Dharma Raj Bhandari, general secretary of Nepal Transport Workers’ Association, says they are actively trying to address the concerns of passengers with disabilities.
“The Vehicle and Transport Management Act is in the process of being amended, and I believe that with proper planning and consultation with people with disabilities, we can create meaningful improvements,” he says.
Meanwhile, experts suggest a multi-pronged approach to improve accessibility. This includes strict enforcement of accessibility codes for all new buildings and public transport, as well as incentives for businesses that invest in inclusive infrastructure. They say low-cost smart solutions, such as portable ramps, voice-assisted apps, tactile paving, and audio announcements, can also make a significant difference.
Alongside these measures, community awareness campaigns are essential to reduce stigma and promote accessibility as a shared social responsibility.
Rame Dhakal from NAPD stresses the importance of awareness. “People need to be educated about the words they use. Many still use inappropriate or insensitive terms when referring to persons with disabilities,” he says. “The real change starts with an attitude change.”
