In India, while the principal disability rights law, the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, mandates that every service provider, whether government or private, must make their services disabled friendly in accordance with the rules on accessibility formulated by the Government of India, the reality is very different.
From ordering food to groceries, from finding a partner to socialising, from consulting doctors to booking flight and train tickets – technology is used for a whole range of everyday activities. This practical reality prompted us to ask the question-how disabled friendly are the most widely used apps in India?
I-Stem, Vidhi and Mission Accessibility conducted an evidence-based evaluation of the accessibility of ten of the most widely used apps in India, from the standpoint of persons with disabilities. This report contains the findings of this exercise, along with practical recommendations for what each relevant stakeholder can do to ensure that the disabled are able to participate in the digital marketplace like their able-bodied counterparts.