Accessibility as part of equitable public service
The Railway Recruitment Board (RRB), under the Ministry of Railways, Government of India, manages recruitment platforms that serve tens of thousands of applicants yearly. Among them are users with disabilities, who require digital experiences that are truly accessible and inclusive.
RRB recognized that accessibility must go beyond policy—it must become part of the everyday experience and design of its hiring platforms. By partnering with Deque, RRB Ahmedabad aimed to build recruitment platforms that everyone can use independently and efficiently.
Breaking down barriers at scale
Prior to accessibility improvements, RRB’s web and mobile platforms faced significant usability barriers such as missing labels, inaccessible modals, broken keyboard navigation paths, and screen reader issues. These hindered candidates who rely on assistive technology and risked violating India’s Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPwD) Act, 2016.
The technical complexity and scale of government recruitment systems required not only remediation but an approach that would embed accessibility into RRB’s digital foundations—creating long-term, sustainable solutions.
“In order to uphold the statute and follow the spirit of the RPwD Act, 2016, it is important for government organisations to walk the talk. Deque worked closely with the Railway Recruitment Board organisation and M/s. CSC SPU to meet the tight deadlines for making our recruitment website as accessible as possible.”
— Dr.Amit Gupta
Chairman, Railway Recruitment Board, Ahemdabad
Building accessibility into recruitment platforms
RRB Ahmedabad partnered with Deque to fully integrate accessibility into its regional platform and the national RRB Apply portal:
Sustainable Practices: Set up ongoing monitoring with axe Monitor and delivered nationwide awareness training across RRBs.
Audits & Fixes: Identified key issues and implemented WCAG 2.1 AA-compliant improvements like keyboard navigation, screen reader support, and better error messages.
Developer Enablement: Embedded accessibility into sprint workflows and provided training on accessible PDFs and VPATs.
“Our accessible recruitment platforms now ensure that no candidate is left behind. Accessibility is embedded in our culture and systems.”
— Dr.Amit Gupta
Chairman, Railway Recruitment Board, Ahemdabad
Outcomes that empower candidates and systems
These coordinated efforts transformed RRB’s recruitment platforms:
Inclusive digital hiring: Candidates using assistive technologies can now complete applications independently across devices and platforms, while the portals align with India’s RPwD Act and WCAG 2.1 AA standards.
Accessibility embedded: Accessibility became a core design principle—supported by developer training, accessible workflows, and continuous monitoring—rather than a post-launch fix.
Future-ready teams: RRB developers gained the skills and processes to sustain and scale accessibility as recruitment demands grow.
Why Deque makes a difference
Deque combines industry-leading accessibility tools—such as axe Auditor and axe Monitor—with empathetic consulting. This partnership ensured RRB did more than achieve compliance; it built a sustainable, inclusive culture within a complex government environment.
Deque’s approach turns accessibility from a mandate into meaningful, measurable progress—for customers, organizations, and the communities they serve.
The road ahead
RRB’s commitment to accessibility is ongoing. By maintaining continuous monitoring, training, and awareness, RRB will keep advancing inclusive hiring practices that provide equal opportunities to every applicant.
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