India's regulatory framework for digital accessibility has moved beyond guidance into enforcement. SEBI-regulated entities, government bodies, and public-facing organisations now carry distinct, parallel legal obligations.
SEBI Digital Accessibility Requirements
RPwD Act 2016 — Statutory Obligation
GIGW 3.0 / IS 17802 Alignment
WCAG 2.2 Technical Baseline
Independent Audit-Led Institution
IAAP-Crtified Audit Leadership
Digital accessibility in India was treated as best practice until SEBI issued binding directives. Today, three regulatory layers operate in parallel — each with its own enforcement mechanism and scope.
Organisations subject to SEBI face dual exposure: regulatory non-compliance under SEBI and statutory non-compliance under RPwD simultaneously. Government and e-governance platforms carry a further layer — STQC certification requires demonstrated accessibility compliance before evaluation begins. An independent audit structured correctly addresses all applicable frameworks in a single engagement.
SEBI has directed regulated entities to make all investor-facing digital platforms accessible to persons with disabilities. The technical baseline is WCAG 2.1 Level AA. SEBI frames this as an investor protection obligation — inaccessibility is treated as a governance failure, not a UX gap.
SEBI does not prescribe a single checklist. Compliance is demonstrated through an independent audit report — manual testing against WCAG, documented findings, severity-graded issues, and a remediation plan. Automated scans or self-declarations are not accepted as evidence in regulatory review.
*Accord Compliance's SEBI audit reports follow a structure specifically suited to regulatory submission — not generic accessibility tooling output.
SEBI-regulated? Your next audit cycle may require independent accessibility evidence. Get ahead of it.
Section 44 of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act 2016 requires establishments providing services to the public to ensure accessibility — explicitly including digital infrastructure. This is a statutory duty, not a guideline. It applies to private companies, government bodies, educational institutions, and healthcare providers alike.
GIGW 3.0 (Guidelines for Indian Government Websites) is mandatory for all government and government-linked digital platforms. It sets WCAG 2.1 AA as the minimum standard, extended with India-specific content and language requirements. IS 17802 is the Bureau of Indian Standards specification, referenced in procurement and public-sector compliance assessments.
The Standardisation Testing and Quality Certification (STQC) Directorate, operating under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), provides quality evaluation and certification for Indian digital platforms. For government websites, e-governance portals, and regulated digital services, STQC certification includes a formal accessibility evaluation as a core component — not an optional add-on.
Accord Compliance audits map findings simultaneously to SEBI requirements, RPwD Act obligations, and GIGW/IS 17802 standards against a WCAG 2.2 technical baseline. One engagement, one report — all India frameworks covered.
Investor portals, disclosure pages, and grievance mechanisms
Mobile applications (iOS and Android)
PDFs, annual reports, circulars, and digital disclosures
KYC and onboarding workflows
Transactional flows and authentication systems
1.
SEBI, RPwD, GIGW, and STQC applicability confirmed for scope — framework mapping established before testing begins
2.
Manual testing with assistive technologies across all scoped surfaces
3.
Issues documented: WCAG criterion, regulation mapping, severity grade, reproduction evidence
4.
Framework-mapped report produced — board, compliance, and regulatory review ready
Our methodology page explains how we conduct manual accessibility testing, which assistive technologies we use, and how we maintain independence from remediation.
India's regulatory compliance window is tightening. Get an independent, framework-mapped audit before your next submission.
