India’s Accessibility Rules are Forcing Software and App Design Rethink

India's proposed digital accessibility rules could make accessibility a continuous engineering responsibility for technology companies navigating legacy systems, rather than a one-time compliance exercise. 

Earlier this year, the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD) under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment published the draft Rights of Persons with Disabilities (Amendment) Rules, 2026. They propose strengthened accessibility requirements for websites, mobile applications, software, and other digital services offered in India, including by overseas businesses. 

They also propose companies publishing Accessibility Conformance Reports, setting out the extent to which their products and services comply with the prescribed requirements after major product changes. The proposal follows the Supreme Court's Rajive Raturi judgment in 2024, which called for clearer and enforceable accessibility standards in information and communication technology.

However, the draft rules have raised concerns among industry stakeholders. In its submission to DEPwD, the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) has sought a phased, sector-specific framework, citing challenges involving legacy systems, overlapping regulations, and dependencies on hardware and operating systems.

For technology companies, the challenge extends beyond making a website or application accessible at launch. Existing software developed without accessibility considerations requires overhauling underlying architecture, interface components, and testing processes. At the same time, accessibility cannot be treated as a one-time exercise because subsequent updates can introduce unforeseen barriers.

Retrofitting Legacy Software

For technology companies, implementing accessibility requirements may involve examining products not originally designed to accommodate users with different abilities. Retrofitting these systems can require changes to existing code, inconsistent interface components and third-party integrations, including embedded payment, login, and chat modules.

"Retrofitting legacy systems can be complex and resource-intensive, particularly for companies managing large product portfolios. These systems were often built without accessible components or consistent design patterns, so the same issue may appear across many screens and applications," Asad Abrar, Founder of Drizz, a vision AI mobile testing platform, tells AIM.

Attempting to address every issue at once may not be practical for companies managing multiple applications. Abrar suggests prioritising important user journeys, such as signing in, making payments, and submitting forms, before progressively fixing reusable components such as buttons, forms and navigation menus.

For edtech platforms, the exercise would extend beyond their primary websites or mobile interfaces. Video content, assessments, payment flows, student support systems and learning dashboards would also need to be examined.

"Some improvements, such as captions, transcripts and interface adjustments, can be introduced relatively quickly. Others, including screen-reader compatibility and accessible assessments, may require deeper engineering changes," says Dr Prince Kaushik, Founder and CEO of nursing edtech platform NPrep.

The complexity also depends on the platform's scale and the nature of its content. Companies may need to begin with accessibility audits, identify critical barriers, and introduce improvements in phases. However, delaying accessibility can increase the eventual cost and engineering effort.

Why Accessibility Testing Must Be Continuous

Retrofitting existing applications addresses accessibility gaps that are already present. However, companies also face the challenge of preventing new problems from emerging as software changes.

An interface update, for instance, could alter how a screen reader identifies a button or make previously readable text difficult to distinguish from its background. Such changes are known as accessibility regressions.

"Accessibility checks should run continuously as applications evolve, rather than once before a product is released. Every time a feature is added, or an interface is changed, something that previously worked may break," Abrar explains.

Drizz uses AI-based visual testing to help teams rerun important application journeys following interface and feature changes. Its platform allows teams to describe tests in plain English and identify screen elements without relying entirely on fixed identifiers that may become outdated when interfaces change. These checks can also be incorporated into release workflows to identify potential issues before software reaches users.

However, automated testing has limitations. It can identify certain technical problems, including missing accessible names on buttons and images, insufficient colour contrast, and touch targets that are too small. It cannot independently determine whether a student can complete an examination or whether a screen-reader announcement makes sense in context.

Manual testing and feedback from people with disabilities remain important to assess whether applications can be used independently. Abrar also emphasises that screen-reader testing and user evaluation are necessary to assess reading order, contextual announcements, and overall usability.

Designing for Inclusion From Start

Digital platforms have expanded access to education. However, that does not necessarily mean that every student can use it independently.

"Many applications are designed primarily around video consumption, scrolling, and interactive assessments, without considering how these experiences work for students with different abilities. A platform may technically be available online but still be difficult to use independently," notes Dr Kaushik.

The barriers vary depending on the student's disability. Visually impaired students may encounter content that is incompatible with screen readers, while students with hearing disabilities may struggle with video lectures without captions. Students with motor disabilities may find interfaces that require precise movements difficult to navigate, while those with cognitive disabilities may struggle with complex layouts and information-heavy screens.

Involving people with disabilities during product development can help identify problems that technical testing alone may overlook.

For education platforms, this means understanding how students interact with learning content, navigate assessments, and use assistive technologies. It also requires content teams to consider accessibility when preparing lectures, presentations, diagrams, and other learning materials.

The OSCAR Foundation, which works with children with disabilities, argues that companies should involve disability-focused organisations, families, and children during the research and design stages. "Rather than one-off consultations, longer-term advisory groups or co-design partnerships allow children and families to see their feedback acted on," the organisation notes.

For technology companies, this could mean establishing accessibility requirements during product design, maintaining reusable accessible components, automating repeatable checks, and scheduling regular evaluations with assistive technologies and users with disabilities.

The transition will also require accessibility to become a shared responsibility across product, design, engineering and content teams. For companies managing large software portfolios, a phased approach may help prioritise critical user journeys before extending improvements across their products.

But implementing accessibility features can improve the experience for a wider group of learners, not just those with diagnosed disabilities. 

"Screen-reader compatibility allows visually impaired students to navigate content, while captions and transcripts make video lectures accessible to students with hearing disabilities. Keyboard navigation supports students who cannot use a mouse, and adjustable interfaces allow learners to adapt text size, spacing and display settings to their needs,” Dr Kaushik explains.

As India moves towards more formal digital accessibility requirements, the challenge will be to not just implementing and retrofitting accessibility features into legacy systems, but also maintaining them with every product launch and software update.