Advocacy with the Supreme court to make Supreme court Websites Accessible for persons with Disabilities

Conducted on 24 February, 2025

Access Planet Organization, in partnership with Legal Empowerment Fund (LEF) and Women Fund Asia, held an advocacy meeting with the Supreme Court of Nepal on February 24, 2024. The meeting, attended by Registrar Hon. Bimal Paudyal and other officials, focused on the need for disability-friendly features in justice-related websites and communication systems, which currently lack accessibility for individuals with visual, hearing, and physical impairments

Objectives:

• Inform supreme court officials about the barriers persons with disabilities face while accessing web content and information from supreme court and other justice institutions
• Advocate for the adoption of Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) to ensure compliance with global digital accessibility standards
• Secure a formal commitment from supreme court authorities to implement accessibility measures in supreme court website and information dissemination system.
• Establish a working partnership between the Supreme Court and the Access Planet Organization to improve website accessibility.

The discussion was focused on the digital accessibility challenges on the court's websites. Key issues identified included poorly structured lists and headings, missing alt text on images, non-descriptive links, unlabeled form fields, low-contrast text, and a lack of keyboard navigation and “skip to content” features. Access Planet emphasized the need to adopt Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) and highlighted Nepal’s legal obligations for disability inclusion. They also demonstrated how blind and visually impaired users navigate websites using screen readers. Hon. Bimal Paudel acknowledged the gaps and committed to improving accessibility, inviting Access Planet to provide technical support in the process.

Outcomes 

• Supreme Court officials acknowledged the importance of accessibility and expressed readiness to take necessary actions.
• Access Planet Organization has been invited to provide technical support in improving website accessibility
• Steps will be taken to ensure supreme court websites align with WCAG guidelines