Accessibility in courts remains a challenge, says lawyer

More than two years after a sign language interpreter assisted a hearing impaired lawyer during Supreme Court proceedings for the first time, accessibility in courtrooms remains inconsistent and difficult to secure, say Advocate-on-Record Sanchita Ain and advocate Sarah Sunny.

In September 2023, Ms. Ain moved a request before a Bench led by former Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud seeking that an Indian sign language (ISL) interpreter’s video feed be kept visible throughout the hearing so that Ms. Sunny, who had joined virtually, could follow the proceedings in real time. “That was the first time Sarah could meaningfully access a Supreme Court hearing in that manner,” Ms. Ain said, adding that she bore the interpreter’s cost while mentoring Ms. Sunny for a year. “But after that, things have not progressed and the process of getting an interpreter is very tedious for courtrooms.”

Ms. Sunny said access to legal spaces often depends on advance confirmation of interpretation services. She attended Justice Unplugged, a joint initiative by The Hindu and VIT Chennai only after learning that live interpreters would be present. “Otherwise, it was not accessible to me,” she said.

While media attention briefly increased awareness, Ms. Sunny said the systemic gaps remained as things went back to how they were. “Judges and court staff often don’t know what sign language interpretation services are. Sometimes they don’t understand why I have come with an interpreter. I have to explain again and again that I am an advocate,” she said.

In 2024, she was asked to leave a courtroom in Bengaluru despite wearing her lawyer’s gown and arranging her own interpreter. “This is my right, but I was told to get out. My team had to intervene. Even when they accepted it later, they did not speak to me directly. They did not value me as a deaf lawyer,” she said.

Ms. Sunny, who enrolled as an advocate after clearing the Bar exam in 2021, said live transcription cannot replace ISL interpretation. “Often I am left with no choice but to rely on transcription, but it is not the same,” she said. 
“People who are studying LLB, LLM, and are deaf, I don’t want them to have to face the same kind of pain and hurt. I am trying to understand how to solve and understand so that the future generation enjoy the work. You see how these people enjoy the profession.”

Both stressed that inclusive practices — including interpreters at public events and workplaces — must become routine so that in future, hearing impaired law graduates can practise without facing similar barriers.

Ms. Ain said she is working on developing a legal thesaurus in sign language to bridge terminology gaps. “Accessibility is a constitutional right, but courtrooms are still not accessible to persons with disabilities,” she said.