In the age of Digital India and Accessible India, championed by our Prime Minister himself, a stark reality persists: thousands of Indian citizens with disabilities are shut out of essential government services due to inaccessible websites.
I speak from personal experience. Recently, attempting simple tasks on the Aadhaar and DigiLocker portals – critical platforms for KYC and proof of citizenship – was an exercise in frustration. Navigating labyrinthine menus, wrestling with inaccessible complaint forms, and finally being confronted by an image captcha my screen reader couldn't decipher – each step felt like a deliberate barrier, not a gateway to service.
Hours spent composing emails explaining the issues, detailing the specific WCAG non-compliance, and attaching screenshots felt like shouting into the void. Is this the Digital India we envisioned? Is this the Accessible India we were promised?
The irony is palpable. Initiatives like Accessible India Fund and Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan aim to bridge the digital divide for people with disabilities. Yet, the very websites meant to facilitate access remain stubbornly inaccessible. It's like building a ramp to a locked door.
The consequences are far-reaching. Lack of access to Aadhaar and DigiLocker can mean exclusion from financial services, education, healthcare, and even voting. This is not just an inconvenience; it's a fundamental denial of rights and opportunities.
We, the citizens of India, deserve better. We deserve websites that adhere to WCAG standards, websites that are designed with empathy and inclusivity in mind. We deserve websites that empower, not exclude.
To the architects of Digital India and Accessible India, I urge you: Look beyond the grand pronouncements and flashy campaigns. Step into the shoes of a visually impaired citizen trying to navigate your websites. Feel the frustration, the helplessness, the exclusion.
Let's bridge the digital divide not just in rhetoric, but in reality. Let's make Indian government websites truly accessible, for every citizen, regardless of ability. Only then can we claim to have achieved the India we dream of – an India where no one is left behind.
#AccessibleIndia #DigitalIndia #Inclusion #DisabilityRights #WCAG
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This is so sad to hear.
ReplyDeleteI blame the community. see, unless there is a protest there is nothing in this country works.
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