A formidable legacy in securing disability rights

The 50th Chief Justice of India (CJI), Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud, retired on November 10. His elevation to this role in 2022 had sparked wide expectations, including in the realm of disability rights, given his prior work.

- Rahul Bajaj & Vaishnavi Chaudhry

While many reviews of his legacy have focused on his contributions to constitutional law and judicial reform, his work on disability rights has often been relegated to a footnote. We aim to fill this gap.

Administrative reforms for accessibility: One of his most significant administrative achievements was the establishment of the Supreme Court's Accessibility Committee, chaired by Justice Ravindra Bhat. This was the first such initiative in the court's history, aiming to address barriers faced by persons with disabilities (PwDs) within the judiciary. The committee proposed a range of measures to enhance accessibility, and some of these have been implemented. For instance, an Accessibility Help Desk has been set up at the Supreme Court. Justice Chandrachud also facilitated the setting up of Miti Cafe, an eatery in the Supreme Court run predominantly by PwDs.

That said, his visionary intent did not always get translated into an equally proactive approach by the court's bureaucracy - for instance, in evolving the modalities for enabling sign language interpretation of Constitution Bench proceedings.