Archive · 22 Jan 2026
India to enforce stricter elevator standards for people with disabilities
India is going to make new rules for elevators to help people with disabilities.
These rules will make sure that elevators are safer and easier to use for everyone, especially those who use wheelchairs.
The elevators will have to be in the right places, have bigger doors, and have special features like braille signs and longer door opening times.
This is part of a big campaign called Accessible India, which started in 2015 to make sure that people with disabilities can move around more easily.
The new rules will also make sure that elevators have good emergency systems and are well-lit.
This is a big step to make India more inclusive for everyone.
India is set to notify revised and stricter national standards for elevators used by people with disabilities.
The new standards aim to make buildings safer, more accessible, and easier to navigate independently for PwDs.
Lift manufacturers and infrastructure developers will have to comply with the norms, which include standardized dimensions for wheelchair users and enhanced safety features.
The standards emphasize inclusive communication within lifts, including tactile markings, braille, and visual and audible indicators.
The proposed standards will replace existing norms and align with the Harmonized Guidelines and Standards for Universal Accessibility (2021) and the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (Amendment) Rules, 2023 (RPwD Act).
- Who
- People with disabilities (PwDs) in India
- What
- Revised and stricter national standards for elevators
- When
- Imminent notification by the Indian government
- Where
- India, affecting buildings, workplaces, public transport, and daily infrastructure
- Why
- To make buildings safer, more accessible, and easier to navigate independently for PwDs
- Population with Disabilities
- 26.8 million (2.21% of India's population)
- Accessible India Campaign
- Launched in 2015 to improve mobility and access
- Lift Car Dimensions
- Standardized to accommodate wheelchair users
- Door Operations
- Adjustable door dwell times and non-contact sensors
- Control Panels
- Tactile markings, braille, visual and audible indicators
- Emergency Systems
- Accessible and simple to operate, with automatic rescue arrangements
- Regulatory Alignment
- Aligned with Harmonized Guidelines and Standards for Universal Accessibility (2021) and RPwD Act (2023)
