SEBI’s New Rules on Digital Accessibility What They Mean for Investors and Institutions

On 31 July 2025, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) issued a circular requiring all its regulated entities to make their digital platforms accessible to persons with disabilities (PwDs).

This step came after an April 2025 Supreme Court judgment, which said that digital access is part of the fundamental right to life and personal liberty under Article 21 of the Constitution.

In simple terms: if you are a stockbroker, depository, exchange, mutual fund, or any other SEBI-registered entity, your websites, apps, and online services must be usable by everyone - including people with disabilities.

Why This Matters

For many investors with disabilities, digital financial platforms are not easy to use. For example:

• A visually impaired person may find account statements unreadable because they aren’t compatible with screen readers.
  
• Someone with hearing difficulties may miss important information in videos without captions.
  
• An investor with mobility challenges may find forms hard to complete if they don’t work with assistive tools.
  

SEBI’s circular is meant to change this. It ensures that everyone has a fair chance to participate in the financial market.

Who Needs to Follow These Rules

The circular applies to all SEBI-regulated entities, including:

• Stock Exchanges and Clearing Corporations
  
• Depositories
  
• Brokers and Sub-Brokers
  
• Mutual Funds and Asset Management Companies
  
• Portfolio Managers
  
• KYC Registration Agencies
  
• Investment Advisers and Research Analysts
  

What Standards Must Be Met

Digital platforms must follow these standards:

• Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.1 or higher) – global rules for making websites usable for people with disabilities
  
• Guidelines for Indian Government Websites (GIGW)
  
• Indian Standards (IS 17802) for ICT Accessibility
  
• Relevant parts of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, and Rules, 2017
  

What Needs to Change

Entities must make sure their digital platforms include features like:

• Captions and sign language support in videos
  
• Screen-reader-friendly documents (tagged PDFs, proper headings, alt text for images)
  
• Voice and human-assisted options for e-KYC and account opening
  
• Accessible grievance systems so PwDs can raise complaints easily
  

Deadlines for Compliance

SEBI has given a step-by-step timeline:

• 1 month – Submit a list of digital platforms and an initial compliance report
  
• 45 days – Appoint an IAAP-certified accessibility auditor
  
• 3 months – Complete an accessibility audit
  
• 6 months – Fix problems and become compliant
  

Later, SEBI extended some deadlines for smaller entities like Investment Advisers and Research Analysts to give them more time (Taxmann).

Who Is Responsible Inside Each Entity

• A Nodal Officer must be appointed to make sure the entity follows these rules.
  
• If no such officer is appointed, the Compliance Officer or Proprietor will be held responsible.
  
• Annual compliance reports must be filed with SEBI or the relevant authority.
  

How This Helps People in Real Life

• Ravi, a visually impaired investor, can now read his account statement using a screen reader.
  
• Neha, who has hearing loss, will be able to follow SEBI’s awareness webinars with captions and sign language.
  
• Ananya, an acid attack survivor, will not be unfairly rejected by automated KYC systems—human review will make the process fair.