The Kerala Judicial Academy, which trains trainee judges in the state, will see a host of infrastructure improvements and inclusive training programs to support its first ever visually impaired judge.
The campus, which is spread over five acres at Athana in Ernakulam, will soon have anti-slip ramps and lifts installed in all its buildings.
Continuous railings along staircases, ramps, corridors and paths connecting buildings; a tactile path connecting the entrance to the building with the classrooms, library, dining hall, dormitory and fire exits; and Braille was designed to be mounted at eye level in all important areas of the campus and buildings. Swing doors in buildings will be replaced by automatic sliding doors in all possible places. If revolving doors are to be used, they will be installed to open inward to avoid collision hazards, according to court sources.
The changes are proposed to support C. Thanya Nathan, a visually impaired person who topped the merit list of persons with reference disabilities in the recently held judicial examination for the selection of Civil Judges (Junior Division) in the Kerala Judicial Service.
She will be given the opportunity to practice in a model court setting to familiarize herself with the courtroom environment, decorum and procedure. Ms. Nathan is likely to be assigned a room on the ground floor of the hostel near common areas and drinking water facilities during her year’s training.
Her room will be equipped with remote emergency switches and safe electrical equipment. There will be mobile automation of electrical switches and air conditioning system. The placement of furniture in rooms must remain fixed to ensure predictability of movement. According to Academy sources, a disabled-friendly bathroom with handrail support and easily movable doors will also be set up.
The academic program at the Academy, which is governed by the Kerala High Court, will also see a major change in its approach.
Training materials, internal communications and lecture notes will be delivered in machine-readable formats compliant with optical character recognition (OCR). Resource persons will be invited to provide lecture texts in advance so that they can be translated into Braille or available audio formats. All software used at the academy will have to be compatible with screen readers, court sources said.
Learning methods include voice-to-text dictation tools and audio-based resources, including descriptive transcripts and podcasts. Trained support staff will be available to help her navigate and familiarize herself with the campus. One of her close relatives may be allowed to accompany her, sources said.
The proposed changes are part of the institutional duty of the Academy and the High Court to create an inclusive atmosphere on campus and in accordance with constitutional and statutory values. According to sources, the final form of the inclusion program will be given at the meeting of the board of directors of the Academy, which will be held on February 16.
Published – 15 Feb 2026 18:47 IST