Old infrastructure and inaccessible parking bays are creating barriers to justice – both for advocates and clients with disabilities
In 1996, I became a quadriplegic after a life-altering injury. I refused to let that define me. I earned a BSc in Agricultural Economics and later answered a new calling: Law. Today, I run my own firm, Mupeti Attorneys, serving clients from all walks of life.
As a lawyer with a disability, I face daily barriers within the justice system. As a candidate attorney, accessing courts especially the High Court was daunting. Even now, the path to justice remains obstructed. Parking is a constant struggle. I often arrive to find no designated accessible bays. Recently, I had to park on a busy street where my car alarm was jammed.
Steep ramps and uneven pavements force me to rely on security guards for help, though they aren’t trained or obligated to assist. Inside, broken elevators have left me stranded, unable to access key offices.
Court infrastructure tells a similar story. Historic buildings with steep inclines and inaccessible facilities dominate. In Randburg and Roodepoort, accessible bays are far away or misused, assistance is absent, and security is minimal. Load-shedding and faulty elevators disrupt proceedings. The Court Online system offers some relief, but it’s unreliable and unavailable in most regional courts.
The South African Constitution, the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, and the African Disability Protocol enshrine equal access to justice, but these rights remain aspirational if physical, technological and logistical barriers persist. If I, a practicing attorney, face these hurdles, what hope does the average person with a disability have?
I call on our courts, government and legal profession: Don’t pay lip-service to access. Make it real, tangible and lived for every person with a disability seeking justice.
