India Website Accessibility Audit Services

HalfAccessible delivers IS 17802 and RPwD Act accessibility audits for websites, apps, and platforms operating in India, combining automated scanning with manual testing by CPWA-, CPACC-, and WAS-certified specialists benchmarked against WCAG 2.2 Level AA.

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Quick Answer

Accessibility Service Summary

Quick Answer

India's Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 (RPwD Act) requires accessible information and communication technology, and the Bureau of Indian Standards has published the technical rulebook: IS 17802 (Part 1): 2021 for websites and mobile apps, and IS 17802 (Part 2): 2022 for authoring tools. In April 2025, India's Supreme Court ruled that the right to digital access is part of the fundamental right to life under Article 21 of the Constitution, and within three months SEBI mandated accessibility compliance across India's regulated financial industry. Draft RPwD (Amendment) Rules published in 2026 add turnover-based compliance deadlines and a mandatory, publicly available Accessibility Conformance Report (ACR) for every covered organization. An India accessibility audit tests your website, app, or platform against IS 17802 and maps every finding back to the RPwD Act, so you know exactly where you stand and what your ACR needs to say.

In Simple Terms

Think of this audit as a legal and technical health check for your website or product against India's own accessibility standard, IS 17802, not a generic international checklist. We test against the exact rulebook Indian regulators reference and show you precisely where you stand, including what your Accessibility Conformance Report should say.

Key Takeaways

  • RPwD Act 2016 requires accessible information and communication technology from covered establishments
  • IS 17802 (Part 1): 2021 and (Part 2): 2022 are India's official technical accessibility standards, published by the Bureau of Indian Standards
  • India's Supreme Court ruled in April 2025 that digital access is part of the fundamental right to life under Article 21
  • SEBI mandates accessibility compliance across India's regulated financial industry
  • Draft RPwD (Amendment) Rules 2026 set turnover-based deadlines: 1 year for organizations with Rs 500 crore or more in turnover, 18 months for smaller ones, full compliance within 2 years
  • A public, dual-format Accessibility Conformance Report (ACR) will be mandatory for covered organizations
  • Non-compliance risks fines under RPwD Act Section 89, enhanced fines after 90 days, and suspension or cancellation of registration or certification
10+ Years of Accessibility Experience
CPWA, CPACC and WAS Certified Specialists
Manual + Automated Testing
Screen Reader Testing
Developer-Friendly Reports
Global Accessibility Consulting
Audit Scope

What We Audit

We audit public websites, authenticated applications, SaaS platforms, mobile apps, documents, and design systems.

Websites

Corporate websites, marketing sites, government websites, university websites, healthcare websites, ecommerce journeys, landing pages, blogs, resource libraries, and multilingual content experiences.

Web Applications

Customer portals, admin dashboards, CRMs, internal software, enterprise workflows, complex forms, authenticated user journeys, data tables, reports, notifications, and role-based interfaces.

SaaS Products

B2B platforms, cloud software, analytics dashboards, AI applications, product onboarding flows, account settings, billing workflows, and feature-rich application screens.

Mobile Applications

Native iOS, native Android, hybrid applications, progressive web apps, orientation changes, touch targets, gestures, screen reader flows, zoom behavior, and mobile form interactions.

Digital Documents

PDFs, Word documents, PowerPoint files, forms, reports, policy documents, financial statements, healthcare documents, education resources, and procurement documentation.

Design Systems

Reusable components, UI libraries, pattern libraries, design tokens, Figma components, interaction patterns, and documentation that affects many pages or product screens.

Public-facing teams

Marketing, ecommerce, healthcare, government, education, nonprofit, and service organizations use accessibility audits to make essential public content available to more people.

Product and SaaS teams

Product teams use audits to validate complex workflows, reduce accessibility debt, improve component libraries, and prepare for enterprise accessibility reviews.

Procurement and compliance teams

Legal, compliance, procurement, and sales teams use audit evidence to answer buyer questions, support VPAT work, and document remediation commitments.

Website Accessibility Audits

Evaluate public websites against WCAG 2.2 AA using manual testing, automated scanning, keyboard-only navigation, and assistive technologies.

Web Application Accessibility Audits

Review authenticated user journeys, dashboards, complex forms, data tables, notifications, custom widgets, and enterprise workflows.

Mobile Accessibility Audits

Test native and hybrid applications using VoiceOver, TalkBack, keyboard alternatives, zoom, orientation changes, touch target review, and gesture accessibility checks.

PDF And Document Accessibility Audits

Assess PDFs and office documents for tagging, reading order, alternative text, bookmarks, form fields, headings, tables, and screen reader compatibility.

Accessibility Design Reviews

Identify accessibility issues in Figma files, design systems, and component specs before development begins, reducing rework and improving handoff quality.

VPAT And Procurement Reviews

Evaluate products and prepare accessibility documentation that supports enterprise and government procurement conversations.

Issues We Identify

Accessibility Issues We Identify

Each issue is mapped to user impact, the relevant standard, severity, affected users, and practical remediation guidance.

Missing Alternative Text

Missing or inaccurate alternative text prevents screen reader users from understanding meaningful images, icons, charts, infographics, product photos, and linked graphics. We identify images that need concise alternatives, images that should be marked decorative, and complex visuals that need longer explanations.

Keyboard Accessibility

Many users navigate with a keyboard, switch device, voice control, or assistive technology that relies on keyboard behavior. We test focus order, skip links, menus, modals, tabs, accordions, custom widgets, and form flows without a mouse.

Color Contrast

Low contrast can make text, buttons, icons, form controls, and charts difficult or impossible to perceive. We evaluate contrast for normal text, large text, UI components, focus indicators, disabled states, links, and error messages.

Forms

Forms often block users when labels, instructions, required indicators, validation messages, and error handling are not accessible. We test forms with keyboard navigation and screen readers to confirm users can complete and submit successfully.

Headings And Structure

Headings, lists, landmarks, tables, and reading order help assistive technology users understand a page quickly. We identify skipped heading levels, missing landmarks, and reading-order mismatches.

Dynamic Content

Modern applications often update content without refreshing the page. We test status messages, ARIA live regions, notifications, and single-page app transitions to confirm important changes are announced correctly.

Decision Support

How To Choose The Right Accessibility Service

Feature Automated Testing Manual Testing
Speed Fast (minutes) Slower (days)
Cost Low Higher, but more accurate
Manual WCAG Review No Yes
Keyboard Navigation Limited Complete
Screen Reader Compatibility No Yes
Logical Reading Order No Yes
Meaningful Alternative Text No Yes
Form Usability Partial Yes
Overall User Experience No Yes

Helpful Statistics

  • 1 in 6 people The World Health Organization estimates that roughly 1 in 6 people globally live with a significant disability, a substantial share of any organization's customers, patients, students, or employees. WHO Disability Fact Sheet →
  • WCAG is the international technical baseline. WCAG is the international technical baseline. Regulations and procurement processes worldwide reference WCAG directly or indirectly when defining accessibility requirements. W3C WCAG →
  • 56.1 errors per page The WebAIM Million report has found detectable WCAG failures on the large majority of home pages tested every year since the study began, most commonly low-contrast text, missing alternative text, empty links, and missing form labels. WebAIM Million →

Choose This Service If You Need

  • RPwD Act 2016 baseline compliance review
  • IS 17802 (Part 1 & 2) conformance testing
  • SEBI accessibility circular compliance for financial platforms
  • Accessibility Conformance Report (ACR) preparation
  • Article 21 digital-access risk review
  • Developer-ready remediation roadmap
Audit Methodology

Our Accessibility Audit Process

A structured process gives your team clear findings, clear priorities, and a practical path to compliance.

Standards And Technologies

Standards, Assistive Technologies, And Platforms We Support

NVDA JAWS VoiceOver TalkBack Keyboard-only navigation Browser zoom Voice Control Switch Control Axe ARC Toolkit WAVE Accessibility Insights Chrome DevTools Safari Firefox React Next.js Angular Vue WordPress Drupal Shopify Magento WooCommerce Laravel ASP.NET Java Flutter React Native
Deliverables

What You Receive After The Audit

Executive Summary

A clear summary of audit scope, key risks, priority themes, and recommended next steps for stakeholders.

Accessibility Score

A practical status snapshot that helps teams understand current accessibility maturity and remediation priorities.

Detailed Issue Report

Issue-by-issue findings with screenshots, affected URLs or screens, severity ratings, standard references, and reproduction steps.

Developer Recommendations

Practical remediation guidance, code-level notes, component recommendations, and examples your developers can act on.

Compliance-Ready Documentation

Findings organized to support accessibility statements, VPAT and ACR documentation, and procurement or legal review.

Optional Retest Report

Validation evidence after remediation, showing which issues were fixed and what remains open.

Healthcare

Accessibility audits for patient portals, provider websites, medical forms, telehealth journeys, and healthcare documents.

Government

Audits for public services, citizen portals, forms, documents, and procurement requirements.

Banking

Audits for financial journeys, statements, account dashboards, authentication flows, reports, and high-risk transactional experiences.

SaaS

Audits for B2B products, dashboards, analytics, onboarding, admin settings, and enterprise procurement readiness.

Education

Audits for university websites, LMS experiences, EdTech platforms, digital documents, admissions journeys, and student services.

Retail

Audits for ecommerce product pages, carts, checkout, filters, account flows, promotions, and customer support journeys.

Certified Accessibility Expertise

HalfAccessible brings CPWA, CPACC, and WAS accessibility expertise to audits, remediation support, documentation, and product guidance.

Developer-Friendly Reporting

Reports are written for action. Developers receive clear reproduction steps, expected behavior, affected users, standard mapping, and remediation guidance.

Cross-Border Experience

We support businesses operating across multiple regulatory regions with a single audit benchmarked to the highest applicable standard.

Practical Turnaround

Audit scope is tailored to your product and priorities so your team receives useful findings without unnecessary reporting overhead.

Checklist

Accessibility Audit Checklist

  • Page title is unique and descriptive
  • Headings follow a logical structure
  • Landmarks identify major page regions
  • Keyboard users can reach every interactive element
  • Focus order matches the visual and logical order
  • Visible focus indicators are clear
  • No keyboard traps are present
  • Links and buttons have meaningful accessible names
  • Images have appropriate alternative text
  • Text and UI components meet contrast requirements
  • Forms have labels, instructions, and accessible error handling
  • Dialogs, menus, tabs, and accordions expose state correctly
  • Tables include appropriate headers
  • Media includes captions or transcripts
  • PDFs include tags and a logical reading order
  • Mobile screens support zoom, orientation, and large touch targets
  • Authentication flows are accessible
  • Reports include standard references and remediation guidance
Topical Cluster

Use these links to connect audit findings with remediation, procurement, compliance, and industry-specific accessibility work.

VPAT And ACR Documentation

Prepare accessibility documentation for procurement teams.

VPAT Services

Ready to Meet India's RPwD and IS 17802 Requirements?

Whether you're preparing for the Draft RPwD Amendment Rules' turnover-based deadlines, responding to SEBI's accessibility circular, or building your first Accessibility Conformance Report, our IAAP-certified specialists will identify every real accessibility barrier and hand your team a prioritized, developer-ready roadmap. Quick audits start at $500, complete audits at $2,000.

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India Website Accessibility Audit Services (RPwD Act & IS 17802) FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

Answers to common questions about India Website Accessibility Audit Services (RPwD Act & IS 17802).

Does the RPwD Act 2016 apply to private companies, or only the government?

The RPwD Act 2016 applies broadly to establishments, which includes private companies, not just government bodies. Combined with the Draft RPwD (Amendment) Rules 2026’s turnover-based deadlines and the Supreme Court’s April 2025 ruling that digital access is part of the right to life under Article 21, private businesses operating in India should treat accessibility compliance as a legal requirement, not an optional best practice.

What is IS 17802, and how is it different from WCAG?

IS 17802 is India’s own technical accessibility standard, published by the Bureau of Indian Standards: Part 1 (2021) covers websites and mobile apps, Part 2 (2022) covers authoring tools. It is not the same document as WCAG, but its accessibility criteria closely track WCAG 2.2 Level AA success criteria, so most Indian accessibility audits, including ours, test against WCAG 2.2 AA as the practical technical benchmark for IS 17802 conformance.

What are the compliance deadlines under the Draft RPwD (Amendment) Rules 2026?

The draft rules set turnover-based deadlines: organizations with Rs 500 crore or more in annual turnover get 1 year from publication, smaller organizations get 18 months, and every covered organization must reach full compliance within 2 years. Platforms with user-generated content that lack accessibility capability at commencement get 6 months to implement it.

What is an Accessibility Conformance Report (ACR), and do I need one?

An ACR is a document showing how your website or app conforms to India’s accessibility standard. Under the draft rules, every covered establishment must publish an ACR that is freely available on its website or app, provided in both human-readable (accessible HTML or PDF) and machine-readable (JSON or XML) format, and prepared by a qualified accessibility evaluator.

Does SEBI require accessibility for financial services websites?

Yes. Within three months of the Supreme Court’s April 2025 ruling, SEBI issued a circular mandating accessibility compliance across SEBI-regulated financial industry platforms, covering brokers, asset managers, and other regulated entities operating in India.

What happens if my organization doesn't comply?

The RPwD Act’s Section 89 allows for fines, and the draft 2026 rules add enhanced fines if issues aren’t remedied within 90 days, plus potential suspension or cancellation of registration, certification, or regulatory approval for continued non-compliance.