“Some accessibility features exist in courts, but operations and maintenance are still lacking. ‘Accessible’ washrooms, for example, often end up being used as storage. To ensure continued upkeep and constant evolution of solutions being adopted, we need audits which are not just a checklist but also an experiential understanding. We have to understand how each person, from the judge to the lawyer, the witness, the staff, the facility management team, and others, interact with the Court Complex, to strategise and devise feasible design solutions. Accessibility is not a choice. We need a holistic system to monitor this, not just fragmented interventions…”

JALDI’s video series, “Designing Justice”, draws from our ongoing work on ensuring accessible, adaptable and safe court infrastructure for India, as articulated in our 2024 publication “Court Design Handbook: Design Guide for User-Centric District Courts in India”. We conclude the series by conversing with Shreya Shetty and Bhagyalaxmi Madapur, architects, accessibility experts, co-founders of 369 Ochre Studio and co-authors of the Court Design Handbook, on their experience interacting with courts from an architectural and accessibility lens. Shreya and Bhagya trace their journey with court infrastructure, and discuss the need for sustained multidisciplinary engagement to ensure more inclusive court design and monitoring.