SC Sets Guidelines On portrayal Of Disabled Persons In Visual Media; Says ‘Term Cripple Acquired Devalued Meaning’

The Supreme Court on Monday provided guidelines prohibiting disparaging portrayal of the Persons with Disabilities in the Visual Media and Films on Monday stating that words like ‘cripple’, ‘spastic’ are words which have devalued meaning in the society. The case was brought before the court by a one Nipun Malhotra who argued that the Hindi movie ‘Aankh Micholi’ had derogatory remarks on disabled persons. Delivering the judgement, a bench led by Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud observed, “Words create institutional discrimination and terms like cripple and spastic in the course of time have developed a lowly outlook in the society about persons with disabilities.

Laying down several guidelines, the bench said the film certification body CBFC must invite the opinion of experts before allowing screening. “Visual media should strive to depict diverse realities of persons with disabilities, showcasing not only their challenges but also successes, talents and contribution to society. They should neither be lampooned based on myths nor presented as super cripples,” it added.