India, July 15 -- The Supreme Court on Tuesday said jail authorities should provide wheelchair-friendly spaces, accessible toilets, ramps and dedicated spaces for therapeutic needs of the disabled, observing that denial of basic care and facilities to the disabled in prisons amounts to violation of their fundamental rights,

The court also underscored that the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) does not record the disability status of inmates though it provides detailed breakup of their caste, gender and religion.

In a first step, the court directed prison authorities to identify prisoners with disabilities at the time of admission and to provide them information about prison life in a simple and accessible format (sign language, Brail...