Recently, the Supreme Court emphasized the need for airport staff to be sensitized and show greater compassion towards persons with disabilities (PwD). The Court directed regular training be provided to ensure they are equipped to assist PwD effectively.

A bench of Justices J B Pardiwala and Pankaj Mithal made this observation while disposing of a petition filed by a wheelchair-bound woman, who had been repeatedly asked to stand up for her security check at the Kolkata airport.

"We dispose the writ petition by laying more stress on the need to sensitise the staff at the airports to be more compassionate towards the PwD passengers. Necessary training should be imparted at regular intervals and shall include assisting the passengers in the issues they face at airports," the bench said.

The Supreme Court noted that a detailed order had already been passed by a bench led by former Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud, in which the Centre was directed to implement mandatory accessibility standards within three months to improve access to public spaces for persons with disabilities.

"Creating a minimum floor of accessibility cannot be left to the altar of progressive realisation," the court had said.

The apex court was hearing a plea filed by Arushi Singh, a resident of Gurugram, who claimed that she was asked to stand up three times by a Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel during her security clearance at the Kolkata airport. The woman's counsel highlighted the absence of female security guards and support staff at the airport to assist wheelchair-bound passengers.

"When she was travelling, she asked for assistance. But no one came. During the screening, she was asked multiple times to stand up. They asked why she cannot stand up for a few minutes," her lawyer had said, adding that the passenger was 75-per cent disabled.