RPD

The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, commonly known as the
RPwD Act, is India’s central disability-rights legislation.

The Act protects the rights and dignity of people with disabilities and
addresses discrimination, equal opportunity, accessibility, education,
employment, transportation, information and communication technology.

Digital accessibility is an important part of this framework. Websites,
applications, electronic documents, media, digital services and information
and communication technology can create barriers when they cannot be used
by people with disabilities.

What is the RPwD Act?

The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act was enacted in 2016 and came
into force in 2017. It replaced the Persons with Disabilities Act, 1995.

The legislation was introduced to give effect to India’s obligations under
the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

Its objectives include:

  • Protecting equality and dignity.
  • Preventing disability discrimination.
  • Promoting full participation in society.
  • Improving access to public services.
  • Establishing accessibility requirements.
  • Supporting inclusive education and employment.
  • Creating complaint and enforcement mechanisms.

Use the correct name: RPwD Act

The law is sometimes described online as the RPD Act. The name used by the
Government of India is the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act,
2016, generally abbreviated as the RPwD Act.

Using the correct name helps distinguish it from other disability laws and
improves the accuracy of legal and procurement documentation.

Who is protected by the Act?

The Act recognises 21 specified disabilities, expanding the categories
recognised under the previous legislation.

They include:

  • Blindness.
  • Low vision.
  • Leprosy-cured persons.
  • Hearing impairment.
  • Locomotor disability.
  • Dwarfism.
  • Intellectual disability.
  • Mental illness.
  • Autism spectrum disorder.
  • Cerebral palsy.
  • Muscular dystrophy.
  • Chronic neurological conditions.
  • Specific learning disabilities.
  • Multiple sclerosis.
  • Speech and language disability.
  • Thalassemia.
  • Haemophilia.
  • Sickle-cell disease.
  • Multiple disabilities.
  • Acid-attack victims.
  • Parkinson’s disease.

Some benefits under the Act apply specifically to a person with a
“benchmark disability,” generally defined as a person with at least
40 percent of a specified disability where the disability has not been
defined in measurable terms, or as otherwise certified under the Act.

The broader protections against discrimination and barriers should not be
understood as applying only to people who meet the benchmark-disability
threshold.

Who must consider the RPwD Act?

The Act contains obligations relevant to government bodies, local
authorities and private establishments.

Depending on the provision and activity, affected organisations may include:

  • Central and state government departments.
  • Local authorities.
  • Public-sector organisations.
  • Educational institutions.
  • Employers.
  • Service providers.
  • Banks and financial organisations.
  • Healthcare organisations.
  • Transport providers.
  • Technology vendors.
  • Private companies and nonprofit organisations.

The exact obligation depends on the relevant section of the Act, the
applicable rules, notified standards, sector and type of organisation.

Discrimination and reasonable accommodation

The Act states that no person with a disability should be discriminated
against on the ground of disability unless the act or omission is shown to
be a proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim.

It also recognises reasonable accommodation: necessary and appropriate
modifications or adjustments that do not impose a disproportionate or undue
burden.

In a digital context, reasonable accommodation may involve:

  • Providing a document in an accessible format.
  • Correcting an inaccessible online form.
  • Offering captions or a transcript.
  • Providing keyboard-operable functionality.
  • Supporting an alternative accessible communication channel.
  • Adapting an employee system for assistive technology.

Digital accessibility under Section 42

Section 42 addresses access to information and communication technology.
It requires appropriate governments to take measures to ensure that:

  • Audio, print and electronic media are available in accessible formats.
  • Persons with disabilities have access to electronic media through
    appropriate accessibility measures.
  • Everyday electronic goods and equipment are available in universal-design
    formats.

The section establishes a broad accessibility responsibility. Detailed
technical requirements can arise through the RPwD Rules, notified standards,
government guidelines, procurement conditions and sector-specific
regulations.

What digital products can be relevant?

Digital accessibility responsibilities can affect:

  • Public websites.
  • Commercial websites.
  • Mobile applications.
  • Customer and employee portals.
  • Online forms.
  • Payment and banking services.
  • Recruitment platforms.
  • Learning-management systems.
  • Electronic documents.
  • Video and audio content.
  • Self-service kiosks.
  • Communication tools.
  • Software and ICT equipment.

Indian standards for ICT accessibility

India has notified accessibility standards for ICT products and services
under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Rules.

The framework is broader than website accessibility and can cover:

  • Web content.
  • Mobile applications.
  • Software.
  • Electronic documents.
  • Hardware.
  • Communication technology.
  • Video and multimedia.
  • Product documentation and support.

Organisations should identify the exact standards and versions applicable
to their sector, product, procurement process or government contract rather
than relying only on an older website-accessibility checklist.

Government website accessibility

Government websites are also expected to follow applicable Guidelines for
Indian Government Websites and related accessibility requirements.

Important areas generally include:

  • Semantic page structure.
  • Keyboard accessibility.
  • Visible keyboard focus.
  • Text alternatives for images.
  • Accessible forms and error messages.
  • Sufficient colour contrast.
  • Accessible documents.
  • Captions and multimedia alternatives.
  • Compatibility with screen readers.
  • Accessible feedback mechanisms.

Government accessibility should be assessed using the standards currently
referenced by the responsible authority and the applicable procurement or
certification process.

Does the RPwD Act require WCAG?

The Act itself does not reproduce the individual Web Content Accessibility
Guidelines success criteria.

WCAG can nevertheless be an important technical framework within Indian
accessibility programmes, government website guidelines, audits,
procurement requirements and ICT accessibility standards.

WCAG addresses areas such as:

  • Alternative text.
  • Keyboard access.
  • Colour contrast.
  • Page structure.
  • Forms.
  • Focus management.
  • Captions.
  • Responsive reflow.
  • Assistive-technology compatibility.

Learn more about
WCAG 2.1 accessibility requirements.

Accessible electronic documents

Publishing information as a PDF does not automatically make it accessible.
Scanned image-only documents can be particularly difficult for screen-reader
users.

Accessible document practices may include:

  • Providing searchable text.
  • Using a logical heading structure.
  • Defining the document language.
  • Maintaining a correct reading order.
  • Adding meaningful alternative text.
  • Marking table headers correctly.
  • Providing descriptive links.
  • Labelling form fields.
  • Maintaining sufficient contrast.

Optical character recognition can make scanned text searchable, but OCR
alone does not create an accessible document. Structure, reading order,
tables, links and alternative text still require review.

Audio, video and electronic media

Accessibility of electronic media may require:

  • Accurate captions.
  • Transcripts.
  • Audio description where needed.
  • Sign-language interpretation where applicable.
  • Keyboard-accessible media controls.
  • Accessible playback status and settings.

The appropriate format depends on the content, audience, platform and
applicable requirement.

Employment and equal opportunity policies

Government establishments have reservation duties under the Act for
persons with benchmark disabilities.

Private establishments do not have the same government-employment
reservation requirement, but they have other responsibilities, including
nondiscrimination and publication of an equal opportunity policy in
accordance with the applicable rules.

Digital employment accessibility can affect:

  • Job advertisements.
  • Recruitment websites.
  • Application forms.
  • Online assessments.
  • Interview-booking tools.
  • Employee portals.
  • Training platforms.
  • Performance-management software.
  • Internal documents and communications.

Accessibility by service providers

Section 46 establishes a time limit for service providers to make services
accessible in accordance with the applicable accessibility rules.

Organisations should not interpret the expiry of an implementation deadline
as ending the obligation. Existing services must be maintained, and new
technology or content should not introduce fresh barriers.

Common digital accessibility barriers

  • A website cannot be navigated using a keyboard.
  • Buttons have no accessible name.
  • Form fields are missing labels.
  • Error messages are not announced to screen readers.
  • Text has insufficient colour contrast.
  • A mobile application has an illogical focus order.
  • A PDF consists only of scanned page images.
  • A video has no captions.
  • A payment process cannot be completed with assistive technology.
  • A recruitment assessment imposes inaccessible interaction requirements.
  • A kiosk provides only touchscreen visual controls.
  • A third-party service creates a barrier in an essential journey.

Private organisations and digital accessibility

The RPwD framework should not be described as applying only to government
websites.

Private establishments may need to consider:

  • Nondiscrimination.
  • Reasonable accommodation.
  • Equal opportunity policies.
  • Accessibility of services.
  • Applicable ICT standards.
  • Sector-specific rules.
  • Government procurement requirements.
  • Customer and employee feedback.

The exact application should be reviewed according to the organisation’s
activities, sector and current legal requirements.

Penalties for contravention

Section 89 establishes penalties for contravening the Act, rules or
regulations made under it.

The maximum fine is:

  • Up to INR 10,000 for a first contravention.
  • For a subsequent contravention, not less than INR 50,000 and up to
    INR 500,000.

Other provisions may apply to particular offences, companies, failures to
provide information or discriminatory conduct.

The existence of maximum penalties does not mean that every accessibility
defect automatically produces the maximum fine. Enforcement depends on the
provision, authority, evidence and circumstances.

How to assess digital accessibility

A reliable assessment should combine several testing methods.

Automated testing

Automated scanning can identify many repeatable technical findings across
large websites and applications.

Manual review

Human review is required for keyboard behaviour, focus management,
alternative-text quality, content structure and complex interactions.

Assistive-technology testing

Critical journeys should be tested with screen readers, keyboard-only
navigation, magnification and other relevant tools.

Testing with people with disabilities

User testing can identify practical barriers that are not evident through
technical inspection alone.

How to build an RPwD digital accessibility workflow

  1. Identify applicable obligations:
    review the Act, Rules, notified standards and sector requirements.
  2. Map digital services:
    list websites, applications, documents, media, software and third-party
    systems.
  3. Prioritise essential journeys:
    include registration, payments, applications, employment and customer
    support.
  4. Audit representative content:
    combine automated, manual and assistive-technology testing.
  5. Document barriers:
    record affected users, evidence and relevant requirements.
  6. Assign responsibility:
    route work to design, development, content, product, HR or vendors.
  7. Remediate:
    correct shared components and high-impact barriers.
  8. Verify:
    retest each correction before closing it.
  9. Maintain evidence:
    retain audits, decisions, fixes and verification results.
  10. Monitor future changes:
    retest after releases, redesigns and content updates.

Accessibility and procurement

Accessibility should be included before technology is purchased or
contracted.

Procurement teams can:

  • Reference the applicable Indian accessibility standards.
  • Require accessibility evidence from vendors.
  • Ask vendors to disclose known limitations.
  • Test representative functionality before acceptance.
  • Define remediation responsibilities.
  • Require verification after updates.
  • Include accessible documentation and support in the contract.

Accessibility documentation

Organisations should retain evidence showing how accessibility is being
managed.

Useful records include:

  • Audit scope and dates.
  • Standards and guidelines used.
  • Pages, applications and workflows tested.
  • Automated and manual findings.
  • Assistive technologies used.
  • Remediation owners.
  • Completed corrections.
  • Verification results.
  • Known limitations.
  • Accommodation requests and responses.
  • Vendor accessibility records.

How Pluro supports accessibility workflows in India

Pluro is an accessibility workflow platform that helps organisations manage
digital accessibility findings from detection through verified remediation.

Teams can use Pluro to:

  • Centralise automated and manual findings.
  • Capture keyboard and behavioural evidence.
  • Assign findings to responsible teams.
  • Provide remediation guidance.
  • Track correction status.
  • Verify completed fixes.
  • Maintain a history of accessibility work.
  • Monitor websites after future changes.

Pluro does not provide legal certification and does not replace assessment
against applicable Indian standards, expert review or legal advice.

RPwD digital accessibility checklist

  • Use the correct RPwD Act terminology.
  • Identify applicable rules and notified standards.
  • Review websites, applications, documents and media.
  • Test complete customer and employee journeys.
  • Provide keyboard-accessible functionality.
  • Support screen readers and other assistive technologies.
  • Provide accessible electronic documents.
  • Caption relevant audiovisual content.
  • Review third-party services and vendors.
  • Publish applicable equal opportunity policies.
  • Provide reasonable accommodation where required.
  • Document and verify remediation.
  • Monitor accessibility after future changes.

Important notice

This page provides general information and does not constitute legal advice
or a formal accessibility certification. RPwD obligations depend on the
organisation, service, sector, applicable rules and standards, procurement
requirements and current government notifications.

Review the official

Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016
.

Review the official

Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities resources
.

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