The Supreme Court issued guidelines on Monday to prevent the 'disparaging' portrayal of individuals with disabilities in visual media and films. The court emphasized that terms like 'cripple' and 'spastic' now carry negative connotations in society.
This ruling follows a petition filed by Nipun Malhotra, who raised concerns about derogatory references to differently-abled individuals in the Hindi film 'Aankh Micholi'.
Pronouncing the verdict, a bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud said, "Words cultivate institutional discrimination and terms such as cripple and spastic have come to acquire devalued meanings in societal perceptions 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.
(With PTI inputs)
