GIGW and IS 17802 Checklist for an RA or IA Website
SEBI's accessibility circular names three standards: WCAG 2.1 or later, GIGW and IS 17802. For a Research Analyst or Investment Adviser website, they come down to the same checks. This list maps them to the pages an RA or IA site actually has, so you can find and fix the common failures before your IAAP audit.
Not legal advice. Aktai is software, not a Research Analyst or Investment Adviser. You remain the registered entity and are responsible for your compliance, including the accessibility audit and your reports to BSE. Check each point against the SEBI circular before you act.
The three standards SEBI names
Circular SEBI/HO/ITD-1/ITD_VIAP/P/CIR/2025/111 of 31 July 2025, Annexure I section B, sets the baseline for every regulated entity's digital platforms: WCAG 2.1 or the latest version, the latest GIGW, IS 17802, and the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act 2016. SEBI's clarification of 8 December 2025 asks for at least WCAG level AA.
You do not need three separate projects. GIGW and IS 17802 both build on WCAG for web content, so if you work through the WCAG 2.1 AA checks below, you cover most of what the other two ask of a website.
The checklist, page by page
| Where | Check | WCAG 2.1 |
|---|---|---|
| Every page | Page has a unique, descriptive title and the language is set to English (or the page language). | 2.4.2, 3.1.1 |
| Every page | Text contrast is at least 4.5:1 (3:1 for large text). Check grey footer text and text over images. | 1.4.3 |
| Every page | Everything works with a keyboard alone, in a sensible order, and you can see where the focus is. | 2.1.1, 2.4.3, 2.4.7 |
| Every page | Text can be zoomed to 200% and the page reflows on a 320px wide screen without sideways scrolling. | 1.4.4, 1.4.10 |
| Every page | Headings are real headings in order, and lists are real lists, so screen readers can navigate. | 1.3.1 |
| Home and footer | Registration details and the SEBI disclaimer are text, not an image of text. | 1.4.5 |
| Logos and images | Meaningful images have alt text. Decorative images have empty alt text. | 1.1.1 |
| Menus and buttons | Icon buttons (WhatsApp, Telegram, menu) have a text name a screen reader can announce. | 4.1.2 |
| Links | Link text says where it goes. "Click here" and bare "Read more" fail. | 2.4.4 |
| Complaints table | The monthly complaints data is an HTML table with header cells, not a screenshot. | 1.3.1 |
| Investor charter and PDFs | PDFs are tagged, with headings, reading order and alt text. Better still, publish the charter as an HTML page too. | 1.3.1, 1.1.1 |
| Contact and grievance forms | Every field has a visible label, errors are explained in text, and there is no CAPTCHA without an alternative. | 3.3.1, 3.3.2, 1.1.1 |
| Videos | Captions on every video. Audio description where the picture carries information. | 1.2.2, 1.2.5 |
| Pop-ups and timers | Pop-ups can be closed with a keyboard. Nothing times out or auto-plays without a way to stop it. | 2.2.1, 2.2.2 |
Test it yourself in an hour
- Keyboard. Put the mouse away. Press Tab through every page. Can you reach and use every link, menu and form, and can you always see where you are?
- Zoom. Zoom the browser to 200%. Nothing should overlap or disappear.
- Phone width. Narrow the window to phone width. You should never have to scroll sideways.
- Screen reader. Turn on VoiceOver (Mac, iPhone) or the free NVDA (Windows) and listen to your home page. Do the images, buttons and headings make sense?
- Automated scan. Run a free accessibility checker in the browser. It finds contrast, missing alt text and missing labels quickly, but it cannot judge everything.
Accessibility sits next to your SEBI disclosures
Most failures on RA and IA sites sit in the parts SEBI already asks you to publish: the registration block, the investor charter PDF, the complaints table and the grievance form. Fix those first. The website disclosures checklist lists what has to be there; this list makes sure everyone can use it.
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FAQ
What are GIGW and IS 17802?
GIGW is the Guidelines for Indian Government Websites. IS 17802 is the Indian Standard on accessibility requirements for ICT products and services. SEBI circular SEBI/HO/ITD-1/ITD_VIAP/P/CIR/2025/111 names both, with WCAG 2.1 or later, as the baseline for every regulated entity. For web pages, both build on WCAG, so the WCAG 2.1 AA checks above cover most of the ground.
Is this checklist enough to pass the SEBI accessibility audit?
No checklist replaces the audit. SEBI requires an audit by an IAAP-certified professional, including usability testing by persons with disabilities. This list helps you fix the common failures first, so the audit finds less.
Which WCAG level does SEBI expect?
SEBI's clarification of 8 December 2025 (HO/13/19/13(2)2025-ITD-1_VIAP/I/187/2025) asks whether each platform meets at least level AA of the latest WCAG. Plan for AA.
Do I need to check my client portal and app too?
Yes. The circular covers every digital platform you provide to investors: websites, mobile apps and portals. If a vendor runs the portal, ask the vendor for its accessibility report. The responsibility stays with you.