3. Making Courts disabled friendly

The Chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission, Dr. Justice A.S. Anand had recently addressed letters to the Chief Justices of all the High Courts asking them to check whether there exists the practice of persons with disabilities being made to remove their shoes when they are produced in court.
This practice had been brought to the notice of the Commission by the representative of the Government of Karnataka at a meeting the NHRC held with the Chief Secretaries and Directors General of Police on 14 December 2004 in New Delhi. Justice Anand, in his letter, had requested the Chief Justices to take appropriate steps to avoid difficulties suffered by persons with disabilities due to such a practice, if it is prevalent in the courts in their respective States.
Responses to this letter have been received. The High Courts of Allahabad, Himachal Pradesh and Kerala stated that directions have been issued to see that inconvenience is not caused to the disabled and persons with disabilities are not required to remove their shoes. The High Court of Sikkim, Uttaranchal and Jharkhand stated that the practice of asking persons with disabilities to remove their shoes is not prevalent in their States. The High Court of Andhra Pradesh stated that in 1990, an instruction was issued, not to insist upon the public and parties to leave their footwear before entering the court hall. While the Bombay High Court outlined the measures taken to not put persons with disabilities into inconvenience such as all the courts under Bombay High Court ramps have been provided as on 10 December 2004. A decision has been taken to provide reservation of vacancies as provided in PWD act in the judiciary for class III & IV appointments. Persons with disability are not required to remove their shoes.