Karnataka High Court Establishes Universal Accessibility Standards for Government and Private Institutions

Justice Suraj Govindaraj of the Karnataka High Court issued a 465-page verdict establishing a comprehensive SOP for universal accessibility that will remain in force until the state government frames formal rules under the RPwD Act, 2016. The SOP, to be implemented over two years, mandates that all public buildings undergo accessibility audits—with existing buildings completing initial audits within one year, followed by annual audits and comprehensive renewals every five years. The court upheld the State Commissioner for PwD's 2020 order directing PSBB Learning Leadership Academy to pay ₹10 lakh compensation to a former teacher who suffered spinal injuries and permanent disability after falling from a school building in 2013 while attempting to prevent a student from jumping. The court rejected the school's argument that the teacher's breach of protocol constituted contributory negligence under disability rights law, clarifying that such breaches are irrelevant to determining institutional obligations under the RPwD Act. The ruling requires educational institutions to install safety grills on upper-floor windows, maintain non-slip corridors, establish disability anti-discrimination committees, and adopt written inclusive education policies that prohibit admission denials based solely on disability.