From braille to bench: Thanya Nathan to become Kerala’s first judge with visual disability

When the Supreme Court last year allowed persons with disabilities to enter the judicial service, 24-year-old Thanya Nathan saw a new opportunity open up. Inspired by the judgment, the law graduate with a visual disability from Mangad in Kannur district decided to prepare for the judicial service examination.

Now, she has topped the Civil Judge (Junior Division) examination under the persons with disabilities category and is set to become Kerala’s first judge with a visual disability.

Speaking to PTI as she awaits her appointment letter, Nathan said she is ready to face the challenges of the profession.

“I know it will be a challenging career. But technology has advanced to a stage where most judicial work can be handled using assistive tools such as screen readers and dictation software,” she said.

Blind since birth, Nathan began her education at a special school in Dharmadom, studied up to Class 10 at Parassinikadavu High School, and completed her higher secondary education at Morazha Government Higher Secondary School.

She decided to pursue law while studying plus two.

With the support of her family, she cleared the entrance examination and went on to top the LLB course at Kannur University, where she was the only student with a visual disability in the college.

“The staff were not used to teaching students with disabilities, but they made an effort to understand my needs and support me, which helped me overcome the gap,” she said.

After enrolling as an advocate, Nathan began practising under lawyer KG Sunilkumar in Thaliparamba, Kannur. It was during this period that the Supreme Court judgment delivered by Justices JB Pardiwala and R Mahadevan in 2025 was pronounced.

“That judgment inspired me to apply when the notification for the examination was issued,” she said.

Nathan said she prepared for the examination on her own, making notes using Braille scripts. For the interview, she sought guidance from a lawyer in Thiruvananthapuram.

“The interview panel asked how I planned to work with my disability. I explained my approach, and I believe my answers convinced them,” she said.

Sunilkumar described her as sharp and methodical.

“After the shift from the IPC to the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, even experienced lawyers get confused. But if you ask Thanya, she can recall sections instantly.

She handles e-documents with ease and has appeared in court several times,” he said.

The Kerala High Court has forwarded the selection list to the State Government, which will issue the appointment order.

Nathan said infrastructure accessibility would be the biggest challenge ahead.

“Our systems are not fully accessible yet. I hope the Government will take appropriate steps so that I can work comfortably,” she said.