Accessibility Standards — Amendments

Amendment	Year	Description	Impact
Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act 2016	2016	Replaced the Persons with Disabilities Act 1995, expanding disability categories from 7 to 21, introducing comprehensive accessibility standards in Sections 40-46, mandating accessibility audits, establishing timelines for compliance, and creating stronger enforcement mechanisms with penalties up to five lakh rupees and two years imprisonment.	Transformed India's approach to disability rights from charity-based to rights-based framework, making accessibility legally enforceable rather than voluntary, aligning with UNCRPD commitments, and establishing the foundation for the Accessible India Campaign and systematic accessibility implementation across government infrastructure and digital platforms.