The Overlooked Rights of a Consumer with Disability

I am a firm believer that words/stories create impact. Stories of marginalized people hardly hog the mainstream headlines. But as a fellow, I am grateful to AIF for providing me this space to tell the stories of the disabled community. In this blog, let’s understand what it takes to navigate life as a consumer with a disability.

As we go about our daily lives, we often take for granted the ease with which we can access goods and services. However, for individuals with disabilities, this is not always the case. The challenges they face are multifaceted and far-reaching. As a consumer with a disability, there are two essential requirements: accessibility and support. The former refers to the ability to access goods and services, while the latter encompasses the availability of support mechanisms for grievances. Unfortunately, these requirements are often overlooked, leaving individuals with disabilities feeling marginalized and excluded. Let us consider a few examples that illustrate the systemic barriers faced by persons with disabilities. A person with motor disabilities may struggle with buttons on a shirt, while someone with sensory sensitivities may be overwhelmed by certain fabrics. These are just a few examples of the many challenges that individuals with disabilities face in their daily lives.

Furthermore, service providers often fail to meet the needs of persons with disabilities. For instance, a travel booking website may not be accessible to individuals with visual impairments. Similarly, insurance companies may deny coverage to individuals with intellectual disabilities, and banks may deny ATM cards to visually impaired customers. It is essential to recognize that consumer interest cannot be fully ensured if products are accessible but lack support mechanisms. For instance, a company’s grievance redressal system may be inaccessible to individuals with speech impairments.

As we strive for a more inclusive society, it is crucial that we acknowledge the invisible customers – individuals with disabilities – and work towards creating a more accessible and supportive environment for them. Are consumer commissions easily accessible? The answer is unequivocally no since there are no audio announcements or no space for a wheelchair or no sign language interpreter. Recently the department of consumer affairs launched two separate portals- E-daakhi and  E-jagriti Portal to lodge complaints online. However, both the websites lack basic accessibility features, such as an accessibility menu. You are required to sign up to access the service but the CAPTCHA is only provided in letters. There is no audio description or Braille signage which renders it inaccessible for various disabilities.

Businesses don’t see disabled communities as target audiences so they design products as per the demands and needs of mainstream customers not keeping accessibility in mind.

As per the World Bank estimates, Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) account for 5-7% of India’s population. It is a significant consumer base.  The market for assistive devices alone in India is valued at a whooping INR 4.5k crore. To reach more customers, they may consider incorporating accessibility through universal design and reasonable accommodation principles.

The rights of PwDs are not incorporated in the Consumer Protection Act, enacted in 2019. Policymakers and business houses are not really sensitive about the fact that PwDs have been disproportionately affected by goods, services and consumer protection. The systemic barriers mentioned above hinder their full participation.

What I advocate for and demand is a meaningful change. Businesses must ensure their products and services are accessible to all, including those with disabilities. Every disabled customer should be easily able to navigate in stores by having ramps and wide aisles, and digital accessibility on websites and mobile applications. That is what we call inclusion.

As I argued in the beginning of this piece, ask yourself as a business tycoon or an entrepreneur: “Are you exploring the concept of universal design- designing products and environments to be usable by all people, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation or specialized design?” Universal design not only benefits those with disabilities but also enhances the overall user experience.

Let’s also talk about the less discussed economic barrier. The companies in hiring advertisements claim that they are equal opportunity employers. But the fact is PwDs face economic disparities and are paid less than their counterparts and not as per industry standards.

During a think-tank dialogue at the International Purple Fest in Goa earlier this year, I posed  this question to a senior manager of a prominent airline. The representative acknowledged that there is still much room for improvement and they will make sure that PwDs are paid as per the market standards. Inclusion in the marketplace is still a distant dream because awareness and sensitivity among service providers is a major obstacle. Many employees are not trained to assist customers with disabilities, leading to uncomfortable and often humiliating experiences.

Creating an inclusive consumer environment requires a concerted effort from businesses, policymakers, and society at large. By implementing universal design principles, providing disability awareness training, enforcing legal protections, and fostering positive societal attitudes, we can move towards a world where everyone, regardless of their abilities, can navigate life as a consumer with dignity and ease.