The 2026 Digital Accessibility Deadline: How to Meet SEBI, ADA, and EAA Standards
                     Accessibility mandates across 
India, the US, and the EU
2026 marks a "hard deadline" year for 
digital accessibility
Regulators in India, the US, and the EU are moving from voluntary 
guidelines to strict, enforceable mandates to ensure persons with 
disabilities have equal access to digital services.
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India- SEBI Digital 
Accessibility Mandate
SEBI now mandates that all financial platforms must be 
accessible to everyone, including people with 
disabilities, following India's RPwD Act.
Scope: Who Must Comply?
• Market Intermediaries: Stock Brokers, Mutual Funds/ 
AMCs (Asset Management Companies), Depository 
Participants.
• Advisors: Investment Advisers (IAs) and Research 
Analysts (RAs).
• Platforms: Trading apps, Web portals, e-KYC/Video-KYC 
flows, and PDFs/Circulars.
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India- SEBI Digital 
Accessibility Mandate 
(Continues)
Key Requirements:
• Technical Standards: WCAG 2.1 (Level AA), IS 
17802:2021 (Indian Standard), and GIGW 3.0.
• Operational: Must appoint a Nodal Officer and 
integrate an "Accessibility" category into the 
SCORES grievance portal.
Deadline:
• Audit completion by April 30, 2026; full 
remediation by July 31, 2026
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USA- ADA Title II
The Department of Justice (DOJ) has codified specific 
technical standards for state and local government 
digital services under Title II of the Americans with 
Disabilities Act.
Scope: Who Must Comply?
• Public Entities: State and local governments, public 
schools, libraries.
• Higher Ed: All public colleges and universities (course 
materials, portals, and registration).
• Third Parties: Any vendor providing software or services 
to these public bodies.
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USA- ADA Title II (Continues)
Key Requirements:
• Technical Standards: WCAG 2.1 (Level AA).
• Specifics: Applies to all web content, mobile 
apps, and "conventional documents" (PDFs, 
Word, Excel).
Deadline:
• April 24, 2026 (for entities with population of 
50,000+).
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EU- European Accessibility 
Act (EAA)
The EAA is a major law that sets the same accessibility 
rules for all countries in the EU. While the US law (ADA) 
focuses on government services, the EU law (EAA) focuses 
on private businesses and the products people use every 
day.
Scope: Who Must Comply?
• Services: E-commerce, Banking, Telecommunications, 
e-Books, and Transport.
• Hardware: ATMs, Ticketing machines, Smartphones, 
and Computers.
• Global Impact: Applies to any company selling in the 
EU, regardless of where the company is based (e.g., a 
US social media app used in France)
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EU- European 
Accessibility Act (EAA) 
(Continues)
Key Requirements:
• Technical Standards: EN 301 549 (aligned with 
WCAG 2.1 Level AA).
• Compliance: Product manufacturers must issue 
a "Declaration of Conformity" and use the CE 
marking.
Deadline:
• Enforcement begins June 28, 2025 (with a 
transition period for legacy systems extending 
to 2030).
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Immediate action plan
Inventory audit Outsource to experts
• Map every website, mobile app, and PDF • Engage specialized accessibility consultants 
document currently in use. and auditors.
•
Gap analysis Leverage expert knowledge to accelerate 
• Perform automated and manual testing. compliance timelines.
• Test against WCAG 2.1 AA standards. Procurement review
• Update vendor contracts.
Appoint leadership
• •Designate a nodal officer (India) or Ensure all new third-party software/tools are 
accessibility lead (US/EU). accessibility-certified before purchase.
• Oversee the remediation roadmap. Training
• Roll out mandatory training for developers, 
designers, and content creators.
• Focus on "accessible by design" principles.
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Need assistance 
with Digital 
   Accessibility? 
Don’t let the 2026 deadlines slow you 
down. At documenta11y, we specialize 
in making your digital content 
compliant, professional, and accessible 
to everyone. Contact us at 
[email protected]
Visit website : www.documenta11y.com
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