SEBI digital accessibility requirements in 2026: what VC funds must do for websites and investor portals

SEBI has made digital accessibility a mandatory expectation for SEBI-regulated entities, linked to obligations under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 and framed as investor protection for access to digital platforms. SEBI then issued compliance guidelines and a later clarification that reshaped near-term reporting obligations and timelines.

At Taghash Services, we help VC funds meet SEBI digital accessibility requirements across fund websites and investor portals. We audit against benchmarks such as WCAG 2.1 AA, translate findings into an execution ready remediation backlog, retest fixes after deployment and deliver a platform-wise readiness and compliance report.

What SEBI requires

Across SEBI’s circular, compliance guidelines and clarification, three practical requirements emerge:

1. Platform-level reporting of readiness and compliance

SEBI’s clarification drives a platform-wise view. Funds should be able to state, for each investor facing a digital platform, whether it is compliant, in progress or pending, with clear next steps. The commonly cited near-term milestone is platform-wise reporting by March 31, 2026, using SEBI’s prescribed format, as reflected in the clarification.

2. Measured against recognised accessibility benchmarks

In practice, audits and remediation are typically aligned with WCAG, with WCAG 2.1 AA being the most frequently used operating benchmark in implementation programs. Accessibility specialists summarising the SEBI programme commonly reference WCAG 2.1 AA in the compliance approach.

3. Compliance is operational and not temporary 

This is not a one-time design refresh. SEBI’s intent is inclusive access across investor-facing digital platforms, including onboarding and KYC flows that can otherwise exclude persons with disabilities.

What funds should treat as in scope

For a VC fund, scope is easiest to define by investor journeys.

If an investor or beneficiary interacts with you digitally and an accessibility barrier could prevent use, treat that platform as in scope. This usually includes:

• Public fund website and disclosure pages
• Investor or LP portal, including login and account management
• Digital onboarding, such as subscription journeys, KYC workflows, forms, uploads, e-sign and OTP flows
• Document libraries, statements, notices and downloadable reports
• Grievance or contact journeys, including “write to us” and complaint routes

This “platform inventory first” approach aligns with SEBI’s platform-wise reporting direction.

How to run an audit that holds up

A compliance grade audit is not only an automated scan. Automated tools catch patterns quickly, but they miss many real-world blockers.

A defensible audit program typically includes three layers:

1. Automated crawl and scan
   Scan the full publicly accessible site or platform to identify broad issue patterns, coverage gaps and risk areas.
2. Manual expert review of unique templates and components
   Manually assess every distinct layout, component and interaction pattern. This focuses effort on what users actually experience, rather than repeating checks across similar URLs.
3. Assistive technology verification
   Test key flows using keyboard-only navigation and screen readers to validate real-world usability.

This approach provides comprehensive, repeatable and defensible coverage, aligning with the expected conduct of accessibility audits under regulatory and enterprise standards.

Remediation: what typically needs fixing on fund sites and portals

Most fixes fall into repeatable buckets. Focus on fixing the system so new pages stay compliant.

Keyboard access and focus management
Every core journey should work without a mouse. Tab order should be logical, focus should be visible and modals should not trap focus.

Forms and onboarding
Inputs need clear labels. Errors should be explained in text, not only colour. Upload, consent and OTP flows must be operable by keyboard and understandable via screen readers.

Navigation and structure
Use meaningful headings and landmarks. Ensure menus, accordions and interactive elements are accessible. Links and buttons should have descriptive names, not “click here”.

Documents and disclosures
Avoid scanned PDFs for investor-facing material. Where documents are part of an investor journey, they need to be readable and navigable for assistive technologies.

Prioritise remediation by investor impact first, then severity. That is what prevents a situation where low-impact issues consume time while critical journeys remain blocked.

Evidence: what to keep ready for reporting, reviews and grievances

Most teams struggle because evidence is scattered.

Since the requirement is platform-level readiness and compliance reporting, funds should maintain an “accessibility compliance file” that supports the report and makes future reviews faster. A practical evidence set includes:

• Platform inventory with owners and vendor details
• Audit scope, methodology and findings
• Issue log with severity, mapping to the benchmark used and fix recommendations
• Remediation tracker with tickets and acceptance criteria
• Retest results after fixes
• The final platform-wise readiness and compliance report in SEBI’s format

This also helps with grievance handling because the fund can show a clear trail of assessment, remediation and verification.

In a nutshell

SEBI’s digital accessibility programme becomes manageable when it is treated as ongoing operating hygiene.

Platform-wise readiness reporting forces clarity on what platforms you own, what you assessed, what is compliant today, what is in remediation and what evidence supports it.

With Taghash Digital Accessibility Service running this as a repeatable process, funds move from one-off fixes to a steady cadence. It keeps investor journeys accessible, reporting clean and evidence-ready when reviews or grievances arise.

About Taghash

Taghash provides an end-to-end platform for venture funds, private equity, fund of funds and other alternative investment funds. Over the last seven years, we have served as the tech arm for top VCs, helping them manage operations across deal flow, portfolio, fund and LP management. 

We also offer a services layer to support execution across data management, legal and compliance, fund administration coordination, trustee and custodian interfacing and valuations and advisory.

Trusted by leading fund managers like Blume Ventures, Kalaari Capital and A91 Partners, we enable our clients to achieve greater success. Click here to book a demo.