Supreme Court Directives: Making Digital Services Accessible to All

The Supreme Court has directed changes in the digital KYC process to make it accessible for acid attack survivors and persons with visual disabilities. Emphasizing the constitutional right to digital access, the court issued 20 crucial directions to ensure inclusivity and equal participation, targeting both public and private sectors.

The Supreme Court has issued a landmark set of directions aimed at making digital KYC processes more inclusive for acid attack survivors and those with visual disabilities. On Wednesday, the bench of Justices J B Pardiwala and R Mahadevan emphasized the constitutional necessity to ensure digital access for marginalized groups.

The court's verdict underscored the right to digital access as integral to life and liberty under Article 21 of the Constitution. It called for proactive state measures to bridge the digital divide, highlighting challenges faced by disabled individuals due to inaccessible online services.

The ruling specified that all government and private entities must adhere to accessibility standards and perform regular audits. It flagged incompatibilities with assistive technologies and tasked the RBI with crafting inclusive KYC verification methods, ensuring digital platforms serve all citizens, per national and international disability rights laws.

(With inputs from agencies.)