Consumer Guide for Persons with Disabilities

** Rashi Singhal and Somya Jain

The Consumer Guide for Persons with Disabilities, jointly developed by Chair on Consumer Law & Practice at National Law School of India University, Bengaluru and Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy, seeks to empower persons with disabilities by providing in-depth knowledge about their rights as consumers in India. The Guide details key rights and presents a clear, step-by-step process to help consumers with disabilities address violations and seek redress. It also features real-life examples of consumers with disabilities who have successfully asserted their rights under the law to resolve their grievances.

Objective of the Guide: 

  • Raise awareness about the rights of consumers with disabilities.
  • Empower consumers with disabilities to enforce their rights effectively.
  • Serve as a one-stop document that simplifies the various processes within the consumer protection framework from a disability rights perspective. 
  • Provide clear information regarding the duties and responsibilities of businesses towards consumers with disabilities.

Who can use the guide? 

The Guide can be used by persons with disabilities who buy goods or avail services, enabling them to understand and exercise their rights effectively. It also serves as a valuable resource for caregivers, lawyers, law students, disability and consumer rights activists, and civil society organisations working to assist consumers with disabilities. Additionally, manufactures, sellers, and service providers can use this Guide to ensure they do not violate any of these rights. 

The guide is divided into the two sections:

Part I outlines the Consumer Rights Framework in India, highlighting four avenues for consumers with disabilities to file grievances and seek redress, based on the type of remedy needed. It primarily focuses on the process under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019.

Part II explores the Disability Rights Framework in India, primarily the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016. This section details the rights of persons with disabilities that are pertinent to consumers, as well as the remedies available when these rights are violated.

** Rashi Singhal is an Academic Fellow at National Law School of India University, Bengaluru