"Disability Inclusion Not An Act Of Charity": Top Court Judge

Supreme Court judge Justice Vikram Nath on Wednesday said disability inclusion was "not an act of charity" but affirmation of "equal personhood".

Justice Nath was delivering his keynote address at a webinar organised by the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) on the occasion of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities.

The top court judge, also the executive chairman of NALSA, said, "Inclusion (of people with disabilities) is not an act of charity; it is an act of affirmation of equal personhood. When we remove the barriers, we do more than create accessibility; we unlock human potential." Underlining that inclusion meant creating a new and better space where every individual could participate meaningfully, Justice Nath said that legal aid outreach must be disability-inclusive.

He said that District Legal Services Authorities (DLSAs) had to regularly visit places, like mental health institutions, special schools, community centres and others, besides ensuring that mobile legal services vans and legal literacy camps reached people who could not approach the system.

Justice Nath said that disability sensitisation had to be made a compulsory part of training for judges, lawyers, police and court staff.

The top court judge asked the institutions providing legal services to help people with disabilities get benefits of key welfare schemes of the government.

Justice Nath also said that legal information could be made available across various accessible formats such as braille, audio, large-print and digital formats.

He said that institutions needed a collective resolve for taking stronger and actionable commitments to providing disability-inclusive justice.

“Keep your face to the sunshine, and you cannot see a shadow,” Justice Nath said, quoting the famous American disability rights advocate and author Helen Keller.  

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