Make all websites disabled-friendly: Bombay HC tells Maharashtra government

The Bombay High Court has directed the Maharashtra government to ensure that all its websites are updated within three months and made user-friendly for disabled people.

The Bombay High Court has directed the Maharashtra government to ensure that all its websites are updated within three months and made user-friendly for disabled people.

Bombay High Court has directed the Maharashtra government to ensure that all its websites are updated within three months and made user-friendly for disabled people. (HT File Photo)

A division bench headed by acting Chief Justice Naresh Patil gave the order Friday while hearing a Public Interest Litigation filed by city-based NGO Disability Rights Initiative, seeking a direction to the government and other authorities concerned to make their websites user-friendly for disabled people.

The petition sought that the government comply with guidelines issued by the central government in 2009 to provide universal accessibility to government websites to persons with disabilities on an equal basis with others.

The high court directed the state government to ensure guidelines are complied with and that all their websites are disabled-friendly.

“After completing this procedure, the government shall take a certification (of compliance with guidelines) from the National Informatics Centre of the Union government,” the bench said.

The bench has directed the government to submit a compliance report after three months.