CABE is Empanelled by DEPwD as Web Accessibility Auditor
Centre for Accessibility in Built Environment (CABE) Foundation is pleased to announce its empanelment as a Web Accessibility Auditor by the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD), Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India.
CABE Foundation was part of the first-ever list of Web Accessibility Auditors empanelled by DEPwD, with the empanelment granted for a period of five years vide its Office Memorandum No. I-14002/7/2022-AIC dated 04 Feb 2025.
This recognition marks an important milestone for CABE Foundation. At the same time, it is a natural extension of work that CABE has been undertaking for many years across accessibility, universal design, disability inclusion, standards development, access auditing, capacity building and advocacy.
For CABE, digital accessibility is not simply a technical compliance exercise. It is about ensuring that persons with disabilities can access information, services and opportunities independently, equally and with dignity.
From Universal Accessibility to Digital Accessibility
CABE Foundation has worked to advance accessibility across the built environment and increasingly across the digital environment as well.
As governments, businesses, financial institutions, educational institutions and public services move increasingly towards digital delivery, websites, web applications, mobile applications and other ICT platforms have become essential gateways to participation in society.
An inaccessible website can create a barrier just as effectively as an inaccessible building.
A person who uses a screen reader may be unable to navigate an incorrectly structured website. A person with low vision may encounter inadequate colour contrast or inaccessible controls. A person with a mobility impairment may be unable to operate a platform without a keyboard. A person with a cognitive or learning disability may encounter unnecessarily complex navigation or instructions.
Digital accessibility therefore needs to be approached as an integral part of accessibility and universal design—not as an afterthought.
A team with experience in accessibility and universal design
CABE's work in digital accessibility is supported by a professional team with experience spanning accessibility auditing, universal design, disability inclusion, standards, assistive technology, capacity building and policy advocacy.
CABE's leadership and professional team include IAAP-certified accessibility professionals, bringing internationally recognised professional competencies in accessibility to our work.
The International Association of Accessibility Professionals (IAAP) certification framework provides professionals with structured competencies in accessibility and helps build a recognised professional community around accessibility practice.
This professional expertise is complemented by CABE's practical experience of undertaking accessibility assessments, working with persons with disabilities and engaging with organisations responsible for designing, developing and managing public-facing environments and services.
International perspective through G3ict's Smart Cities for All
CABE's engagement with digital accessibility also has an international dimension.
Subhash Chandra Vashishth, Founder Director of CABE Foundation, has served as the India Country Advisor for G3ict's Smart Cities for All initiative.
The G3ict/Smart Cities for All Country Advisory Network brings together accessibility leaders from around the world to promote more inclusive cities and communities, working with governments, civil society and the private sector and advancing the goals of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the Sustainable Development Goals.
Subhash Chandra Vashishth was appointed to the G3ict/Smart Cities for All Country Advisory Network as the India Country Advisor in 2020 and continues in that role today. G3ict describes his work as covering standards, capacity building, access audits and advocacy, including his contribution to standards development through Bureau of Indian Standards committees.
This global engagement provides CABE with an opportunity to bring international developments and good practices in accessibility and universal design into the Indian context.
Contributing to India's Accessibility Standards
CABE's work also extends beyond testing and auditing existing products. Its leadership has been involved in the work of the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) through technical committees concerned with accessibility and universal design.
CABE has contributed to the work of LITD 35 – Active Assisted Living Sectional Committee, which has addressed accessibility of Information and Communication Technologies. One important outcome of this standards work is IS 17802 – Accessibility for ICT Products and Services, providing requirements concerning accessibility of ICT products and services.
This involvement in standards development is an important part of CABE's approach to accessibility auditing. It enables CABE to look beyond a checklist of technical failures and understand the purpose, context and user impact of accessibility requirements.
What CABE's DEPwD Empanelment Means
As a DEPwD-empanelled Web Accessibility Auditor, CABE Foundation can support organisations in assessing the accessibility of their digital platforms and identifying barriers that may prevent persons with disabilities from using them effectively.
Our accessibility assessment work can cover:
- websites and web applications;
- mobile applications;
- digital documents and content;
- software and SaaS platforms;
- online forms and transactional services;
- public-facing digital services; and
- other ICT products and services.
Depending on the scope of the assignment, an accessibility assessment may examine areas including:
- keyboard accessibility and focus management;
- screen-reader compatibility;
- semantic structure and headings;
- forms, labels and error messages;
- colour contrast and visual presentation;
- alternative text and non-text content;
- navigation and interaction patterns;
- accessible names, roles and states;
- multimedia accessibility;
- responsive and mobile accessibility;
- accessibility of documents and downloadable content; and
- other applicable accessibility requirements.
Beyond Automated Testing
A key part of CABE's approach is that accessibility cannot be determined through automated testing alone.
Automated accessibility tools are valuable for identifying many common technical issues, but they cannot replicate the experience of a person with a disability navigating and using a digital service.
CABE therefore combines automated testing with expert manual evaluation and, where appropriate, testing involving persons with disabilities and users of assistive technologies.
This enables organisations to understand not only whether an accessibility criterion has been violated, but also how that barrier affects a real user and what can be done to address it. Our objective is to provide organisations with actionable findings rather than simply a list of technical errors.
Accessibility as a Lifecycle Approach
CABE believes that accessibility is most effective when incorporated throughout the lifecycle of a digital product or service.
Accessibility considerations should begin at the stage of:
planning → procurement → design → development → content creation → testing → deployment → maintenance
Waiting until a platform is complete before considering accessibility often makes remediation more difficult, expensive and disruptive.
CABE therefore also supports organisations through accessibility advisory, training, sensitisation and capacity-building programmes, helping product owners, designers, developers, content teams, procurement teams and other stakeholders understand their respective roles in creating accessible digital services.
The objective is to move organisations from a "fix accessibility issues after development" approach towards a "design for accessibility from the beginning" approach.
Making Digital India Accessible to All
India's digital transformation has created enormous opportunities for participation. But those opportunities can only be truly inclusive when digital platforms are designed and delivered in ways that work for people with diverse abilities.
The DEPwD's initiative to empanel Web Accessibility Auditors represents an important step towards strengthening the country's digital accessibility ecosystem.
For CABE Foundation, being part of the first list of DEPwD-empanelled Web Accessibility Auditors is both a recognition and a responsibility.
It strengthens our ability to bring together our experience in universal design, disability inclusion, standards, accessibility auditing, professional certification, capacity building and advocacy to help organisations build more inclusive digital services.
Our vision is simple:
Accessibility should not be something that is added after a digital product is built. It should be part of the way the product is conceived, designed, developed and delivered.
CABE Foundation looks forward to working with government departments, public sector organisations, SEBI-regulated entities, banks and financial institutions, educational institutions, businesses, technology companies and other organisations seeking to make their digital platforms more accessible and inclusive.
Looking to make your digital platform accessible?
CABE Foundation can support organisations with web and digital accessibility audits, accessibility assessments, remediation guidance, accessibility testing, training and capacity building. Visit our Consulting page to know more about Services Offered by CABE.
Contact us to discuss your accessibility requirements and take the next step towards a more accessible and inclusive digital environment.