Why Indian Websites Can't Ignore Accessibility Anymore
India
has over 26 million people with disabilities, yet most of our websites are
designed as if they don't exist. We're building digital India while leaving a
significant chunk of Indians behind. That's not just bad ethics. It's a
terrible business.
The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act 2016 requires both
government and private establishments to make their services accessible. That
includes your website. But here's what frustrates me. Most Indian businesses
treat accessibility as a legal checkbox instead of recognising it for what it
really is: a massive untapped market and a fundamental aspect of good design.
The Reality of Indian
Internet Users
Think about the diversity of people accessing Indian websites
These aren't edge cases. They're a part of the community you are
trying to build with your band. And right now, most of them are having a
miserable experience on your website because nobody thought about them during
the design process.
Where Indian Websites
Fail Most
Colour contrast is a disaster on most Indian websites. Designers
prefer using light grey text on white backgrounds because they want to create a
modern aesthetic through minimal design. The design approach results in reading
difficulties for people who have low vision and for users who read text on
their phones under bright sunlight conditions.
Captchas on banking and government websites are often impossible for
screen readers to process. You're literally preventing people from accessing
essential services. There are accessible alternatives that don't require visual
puzzle-solving.
Forms are consistently awful. No proper labels, confusing error
messages, and mandatory fields that aren't clearly marked. Someone using a
screen reader has to guess what information goes where. E-commerce sites are
particularly guilty of this, losing sales because their checkout process is
unusable.
Start Small, Start Now
You are not required to correct everything overnight. Start with your
basic or essential customer experiences. Can someone book an appointment using
only their keyboard? Can they understand your error messages? Is your text
readable on mobile devices in daylight?
Add proper alt text to images. Use semantic HTML instead of divs for
everything. Make sure your forms have clear labels. These changes take minimal
effort but make enormous differences.
Test your website with actual users who have disabilities. Not
hypothetically. Actually hire people and watch them try to use your site. The
insights you gain through one hour of actual user testing exceed the value of
your months spent making unproven assumptions.
The Future
Digital India should provide all Indians with complete digital access.
Every person you exclude from your business operations results in a lost
customer and a shut down of their input and a missed chance for expansion. At
TYC, a leading branding PR company in Delhi, we understand the basic ethics and
requirements of accessible design to ensure that you don't only meet compliance
needs but also those of customers.
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