Supreme Court issues guidelines for portrayal of persons with disabilities in visual media

The Supreme Court on Monday issued guidelines for portraying persons with disabilities in visual media, stating that their representation should not marginalise them.

A bench of Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justice JB Pardiwala issued the guidelines on a petition highlighting the alleged disparaging remarks against persons with disabilities in the film Aankh Mihcoli.

While refusing to interfere with the certification granted to the film by the Central Board of Film Certification, the Supreme Court said that the language of public discourse “ought to be inclusive rather than alienating”.

The court noted that language that disparages persons with disabilities “marginalises them further and supplements the disabling barriers in their social participation”.

“Such representation is problematic not because it offends subjective feelings but rather, because it impairs the objective societal treatment of the affected groups by society,” said the court.

Laying out the guidelines for portrayal in visual media, the bench said that words like “cripple” and “spastic” are belittling to persons with disabilities and can cultivate institutional discrimination. It said the words must be avoided as they may also perpetuate discriminatory attitudes.

The bench also pointed out that language that overlooks social barriers faced by individuals, such as “afflicted”, “suffering” and “victim”, should also be avoided.

The court said that producers of visual media must check for accurate representation of...

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