Delhi High Court orders film accessibility improvements for persons with disabilities

The Delhi High Court has directed the Indian government, the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), and film producers to develop solutions for making films more accessible to persons with disabilities (PwDs). The order follows a petition filed by Rahul Bajaj, a visually impaired lawyer, who argued that current film exhibitions in theaters and on over-the-top (OTT) platforms lack essential features such as audio descriptions, same-language captioning, or Indian sign language.

Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma ordered a joint meeting of all stakeholders to be convened within one week to explore a workable resolution. The court has requested that a decision be reached within two weeks and has scheduled a follow-up hearing for September 11 to review the outcome of these deliberations.