Key Details
The Lok Sabha reply outlines measures to improve access to justice for persons with disabilities through legal aid, specialised support services, accessible court infrastructure and disability-friendly digital platforms.
Reform Area | Key Update |
|---|---|
Legal Entitlement | Persons with disabilities are eligible for free and competent legal services under the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987. |
Specialised Support | NALSA's Manonyay legal-service units operate across all States and UTs except Lakshadweep to assist persons with mental illness and intellectual disabilities. |
Institutional Outreach | Services extend beyond courts to police stations, hospitals, prisons, detention centres, transport hubs, protection homes and home visits. |
Court Infrastructure | New district and subordinate court buildings funded by the Centre must comply with disability-access standards. |
Digital Accessibility | e-Courts Phase III provides ₹27.54 crore for accessible ICT facilities. |
Accessible Government Platforms | ₹6.35 crore has been allocated for the disability-friendly S3WaaS website platform. |
Beneficiary Reach | Legal-aid coverage for persons with disabilities increased to 15,280 beneficiaries in 2025–26. |
Access to Justice Is Expanding Beyond Legal Aid
In a reply to a Lok Sabha Unstarred Question, the Ministry of Law and Justice outlined a series of measures designed to make India's justice system more accessible for persons with disabilities. Rather than focusing only on providing free legal representation, the initiatives span specialised legal support, accessible court infrastructure and disability-friendly digital services. Together, they reflect a broader understanding that meaningful access to justicedepends on whether individuals can navigate the legal system—not merely whether legal rights formally exist.
Legal Support Is Moving Closer to Vulnerable Individuals
A significant feature of this approach is the expansion of Manonyay legal-service units established under NALSA's 2024 scheme. These specialised teams assist persons with mental illness and intellectual disabilities across multiple settings, including courts, hospitals, police stations, prisons, detention centres, transport hubs, protection homes and through home visits. This recognises that many legal barriers arise well before an individual reaches a courtroom and require coordinated institutional support rather than courtroom-based assistance alone.
Accessibility Is Becoming a System-Wide Reform
The Government is simultaneously embedding accessibility into both physical and digital justice infrastructure. New court facilities are required to comply with prescribed accessibility standards, while e-Courts Phase III and the S3WaaS platform aim to make digital services more usable for persons with visual and other disabilities. The reforms indicate that accessibility is increasingly being treated as a justice-sector modernisation priority rather than a standalone welfare measure.
The Next Challenge Is Measuring Outcomes
The number of persons with disabilities receiving legal aid increased to 15,280 in 2025–26 after declining in the previous year. While expanding coverage is encouraging, beneficiary numbers alone cannot show whether individuals obtained timely representation, participated effectively in proceedings or secured appropriate legal remedies. As implementation expands, outcome-based monitoring will become increasingly important for assessing whether accessibility reforms are improving access to justice in practice.
What Are Manonyay Units?
Manonyay units are specialised legal-service teams established by the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA)to assist persons with mental illness and intellectual disabilities. They help beneficiaries understand their legal rights, obtain legal representation and access remedies across institutions such as courts, hospitals, police stations and prisons
Policy Relevance
From legal rights to usable justice: The reforms recognise that legal rights are meaningful only when individuals can physically reach institutions, communicate effectively, understand legal processes and participate independently throughout judicial proceedings.
Justice delivery is becoming more integrated: Accessible justice increasingly depends on coordination among legal services authorities, courts, health institutions, police, social-welfare agencies and disability-support systems rather than action by any single institution.
Accessibility is becoming judicial infrastructure: Court modernisation now extends beyond constructing buildings and digitising services to ensuring that physical facilities, websites, filing systems and virtual hearings are designed for users with diverse accessibility needs.
Performance measurement must evolve: Future evaluation should move beyond beneficiary counts to indicators such as case outcomes, timeliness of assistance, user experience and accessibility compliance across courts and legal-service institutions.
Implementation will determine impact: As accessibility standards are rolled out nationwide, regular infrastructure audits, user testing of digital platforms and transparent reporting will be essential to ensure that reforms translate into consistent access across States and court levels.
Relevant Question for Policy Stakeholders: Can India institutionalise accessibility as a core feature of justice delivery, ensuring that every stage of the legal process - from first contact to final adjudication - is genuinely accessible for persons with disabilities?
Follow the Full News Here: Lok Sabha Unstarred Question: Access to Justice of Persons with Disabilities