Children’s independent mobility (CIM) is associated with improved physical activity and social competence among children. Despite such benefits, there is a worldwide decline in overall CIM levels, owing to the multi-factors of the insufficient supportive built environment, traffic and negative parental perception. This paper attempts to make a unique case of relooking children’s everyday mobility experiences by adopting a universal design (UD) approach. The key objectives are to (i) discuss the global evolution of CIM in comparison to UD from an Indian narrative,(ii) understand CIM though parental concerns and children’s perspective, and (iii) develop a shared connection between UD goals and CIM. These objectives were achieved by a desk-based literature review followed by a qualitative pilot study within an urban neighbourhood of Delhi. Focus group discussion with twenty children in the age group of 7–12 years and personal interview sessions with fifteen parents were conducted, which were analysed using content analysis method. The literature suggests that to date, CIM has been majorly looked upon from the two-point perspective of urban planning and health. Whereas UD provides an opportunity for bringing in the dimension of ‘culture’into the discussion. Especially in a culturally diverse country like India, where children and parental discussions reveal concerns of safety, familiarity and proximity to child-specific destinations as a precursor for CIM levels. Overall, this study emphasises that both CIM and UD form a complementary process overarching the aim of empowering children to move freely, promoting their health, social participation and inclusion.