Why is disability in India’s beauty industry still an afterthought?

The beauty industry, once driven by unrealistic beauty standardsand misogynistic stereotypes, now sells the idea of inclusivity garbed as progress. Models of diverse shapes, sizes, complexions and hair types occupy space in advertisements; 40-plus foundation shades dominate product launches; and the market for curly hair care has grown rapidly. But beneath this performative inclusivity lies tokenism, with disability in the beauty industry as its biggest blind spot. 

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 1.3 billion people—or 1 in 6 globally—live with some form of disability. Around 14 million people in India are affected by disability—that’s roughly the population of Portugal. Nearly 15 million households report at least one affected member, according to the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5), 2019–2021. And these numbers have only risen since previous NFHS surveys. 

For an industry claiming to dismantle Indian beauty standards, ignoring disabled consumers isn’t just negligence—it’s exclusionary. We spoke to voices from the disabled community as well as industry experts to understand why this gap still remains largely unresolved. 

Why disabled consumers feel disregarded by the beauty industry  

When was the last time you saw a disabled  individual in a beauty advertisement? If you need to think, the answer is obvious. UK-based inclusive marketing agency Purple Goat reports that while 20 per cent of the population there is disabled, only 0.06 per cent appear in advertisements. In India beauty standards remain firmly able-bodied. Neither television commercials nor billboards feature a disabled individual. 

“Growing up, beauty was something I admired from a distance, like it was this exclusive club built for the able-bodied, and I was never given the entry code. Not because I lacked interest, but because I lacked representation,” shares Virali Modi, India’s first wheelchair-using model and a motivational speaker. “From magazine covers to mascara ads, it was all uni-dimensional. One kind of face, body, and movement. The rest of us? We didn’t even make it to the background.”

Millie Flemington-Clare, founder of Human Beauty, an award-winning disabled-friendly brand, adds, “We’re either used as a feel-good moment or treated like a box to tick—or just completely ignored. Rarely are we shown as the multi-dimensional, creative, powerful people we are.”

“I wasn’t always disabled, so I grew up internalising the same beauty standards everyone else did, and those never included disabled bodies,” shares UK-based Ashton McGrady, an accessible beauty and fashion content creator. She was diagnosed with Gitelman Syndrome—a genetic kidney disorder that can lead to disabilities, caused by electrolyte imbalances—at the age of 10. “When I became disabled, I suddenly felt like I had to ‘earn’ my place in beauty spaces all over again.”

“TO SEE THAT ACCESSIBLE TOOLS, ADAPTIVE PACKAGING, OR EVEN REPRESENTATION IN SHADES AND CAMPAIGNS IS STILL A ‘NICHE’ IN 2025 IS DISHEARTENING” — Virali Modi 

The issue, many argue, is systematic ableism. Society has always looked at disabled individuals from a very piteous, abject lens, reducing their entire personality to their disability, away from their interests, desires, and routines. 

Beauty editor Rituparna Som says, “Social and cultural norms never accepted—and still don’t accept—disabled people into ‘normalised’ society. Unless you know someone closely, your experience with disabled people would have been orchestrated by cliches.” McGrady agrees: “The [beauty] industry has also long operated under the assumption that disabled people aren’t interested in make-up, skincare, or self-expression. That couldn’t be further from the truth.” It’s as if the industry has decided disabled consumers, a group with significant spending power, don’t belong in beauty’s imagined audience.

Disability in India’s beauty industry: Why representation still falls short

Representation is one thing, creating accessible beauty products is another. The industry fails at both. Dove’s Real Beauty Campaign; Gucci Beauty’s collaboration with Ellie Goldstein, a model with Down Syndrome; and Benefit Cosmetics, ASOS, and Fenty Beauty’s collaborations with disabled creators and models were all widely applauded, but such efforts have been one-offs. Inclusive beauty brands in India are even fewer. Real inclusion requires repetition and the industry is yet to commit to it.

The much-hyped HAPTA—Lancôme’s handheld make-up applicator designed for people with limited mobility—sounded promising, but its price point of approximately ₹12,865 to ₹17,269 puts it out of reach for many. The adaptive beauty toolis expected to hit the shelves later this year; it doesn’t include the cost of the actual make-up product. “While HAPTA is a game changer, it’s a product very few people can afford,” notes Som. Inclusivity can’t just be aspirational; it needs to be accessible.

Accessible beauty products begin with better packaging, not just campaigns

Brands like Kohl Kreatives, Human Beauty, Guide Beauty, and Tilt Beauty have prioritised accessible packaging design. Rare Beauty has partnered with Casa Colina Research Institute to make their packaging more accessible. Their signature bottles with resistance-free curvy caps are a good example of adaptive beauty tools. They offer grip for individuals with dexterity setbacks. Meanwhile, L’Occitane applies Braille on their packaging and in 2021, Unilever-owned Australian brand, Rexona launched a deodorant for those coping with arm immobility. However, accessible beauty products in India are virtually non-existent. 

Upon asking US-based cosmetic packaging expert Allison Turquoise if manufacturing disability-friendly products can be a costlier affair for beauty brands, she explains, “Sometimes yes, but more often, it’s a lack of awareness and prioritisation.” She furthers, “When accessibility is considered from the beginning, some design improvements can be made using existing stock components or minor tweaks in decoration, texture or size. But when it’s treated as an afterthought, it becomes harder and more expensive to retrofit.” 

“IF THE BEAUTY INDUSTRY WANTS TO BE TRULY INCLUSIVE, IT NEEDS TO START TREATING ACCESSIBILITY AS THE BASELINE, NOT A BONUS. UNTIL THEN, IT’S NOT INNOVATION, IT’S EXCLUSION” — Millie Flemington-Clare

Packaging is the interface between the brand and the user—if it’s not inclusive, the product isn’t either. “One of the biggest structural challenges is the beauty industry’s reliance on stock packaging—pre-existing components, like pumps, jars, droppers, and compacts, that thousands of brands source from the same manufacturers. If a stock pump requires significant force to dispense, or a jar with a thin, hard-to-grip lid, there’s very little a brand can do unless they’re ready to invest in a custom solution,” cites Turquoise.

“Our first launch, the Liquid Confidence Mascara, features our signature Anti-Roll™ design, a square tube that doesn’t roll off flat surfaces and is easier to grip; the mascara wand is omnidirectional, which means it works from any angle,” says Flemington Clare. “These features support people with tremors, joint pain, limited dexterity, or limb differences who may need more stability during application. Our Makeup Therapy Palette is integrated with NaviLens technology alongside a QR code—users can scan the packaging and this will link them to audiovisual descriptions of the palette. The Match Your Mood Palettewas created for Autism Acceptance Month, and features sensory-friendly shimmers,” shares the founder of Human Beauty. UK-based Tilt Beauty’s ergonomic packaging and Braille integration prove that innovation doesn’t need to compromise usability.

Trishna Daswaney founded Kohl Kreatives in 2017 as a result of her observations while conducting workshops for cancer patients. “I saw how muscle fatigue and weakness made make-up application more of a stress and less of a pleasure. While our Flex Collection bends and moulds to be able to cater to a range of motor disabilities, the Feast Your Eyes line caters to a different grip, but also incorporates Braille.”

Closer home, whether inclusive beauty brands in Indiahave addressed the needs of disabled consumers or created truly accessible beauty products in Indiaremains a glaring question. 

Why disability inclusion in the beauty industry needs more than token campaigns

Disability has barely entered the conversations around ‘diverse representation’, and the saturated beauty market still lacks products designed for disabled consumers. 

“As a wheelchair user, when I put on my liner or lipstick, I’m not hiding anything. I’m amplifying myself,” shares Modi. “So to see that accessible tools, adaptive packaging, or even representation in shades and campaigns is still a ‘niche’ in 2025 is disheartening. We don’t want pity—we want products. We want to be seen as customers, not causes.” 

Modi believes the problem isn't resources, it’s intent. “The beauty industry can track how long I stare at a lipstick swatch, but somehow can’t find statistics on how many disabled consumers exist? We’re talking about one of the most resource-rich, data-obsessed industries in the world. If they wanted to solve for accessibility, they would’ve done it years ago.”

Turquoise believes that the gap stems from a standardised ableism that goes unchecked. “They may not be in regular conversation with disabled consumers, and without that input, accessibility concerns often go unnoticed or deprioritised. But that doesn’t excuse the gap,” she says.

This lack of representation also reflects how disability in the beauty standards is still viewed as a special-interest issue rather than a core consumer need. “Consumers, especially Gen Z and millennials, hold more power than they think,” says Modi. “Stop giving your money to brands that only showcase you during Disability Pride Month. Demand better. Ask your favourite brand, ‘Why don’t I see adaptive beauty tools in your line-up?’ Real change doesn’t just happen in boardrooms, it also happens in comments, cart checkouts, and cancelled orders,” asserts Modi.

Som adds that social media has made such conversations unavoidable. “Now, it’s a show-don't-tell situation. Why can’t a blind girl apply make-up? How can industries help those with neurological and muscular degenerative conditions with tools that compensate for their challenges? How can Artificial Intelligence (AI) be leveraged for this purpose? Basically, why shouldn’t everyone have access to a basic medium of self-expression?” 

Turquoise agrees, pointing out how public pressure shapes brand priorities. “I’ve seen firsthand how a few well-written reviews or tagged social posts can prompt internal conversations at major brands. One of the most effective ways to advocate for more inclusive packaging is by leaving public comments on social media that raise awareness about usability challenges or opportunities for improvement,” she notes. 

“It’s also essential to champion the work of disabled creators who are already raising awareness and advocating for change,” says Turquoise. US-based content creator April Lockhart is a great example of that. As someone born with amniotic band syndrome, a limb difference, Lockhart believes that sharing her life on social media has not only empowered her, but even others in her community. “Showcasing my disability more has definitely helped me adjust and become more comfortable in everyday life—wearing short sleeves in public, as a silly example,” she tells The Established. “While I’ve never felt any pressure to be a face for the disabled community, I love it when I get messages that people feel represented through the content I share.”

What real disability inclusion in India’s beauty and grooming industry should look like 

“I want AI-driven make-up tutorials that understand mobility limitations. Tech can scan my face, match my foundation, and simulate glam in Augmented Reality (AR). But if your application can’t even caption its videos, or your stores aren’t wheelchair-accessible, then you’re not inclusive,” states Modi. 

Kavya Mukhija, a disability rights activist, believes physical retail needs just as much attention as product innovation. She argues for accessible beauty products in India to be matched by accessible shopping experiences: a ramp and an elevator aren’t enough. “Sensitising and training on-ground staff on how to support customers with disabilities is equally important.”

Som puts it plainly, “Beauty, as exploitative as it is, has also been a safe space for billions. It needs to build that persona now, and not just through pimple patches to show that we now accept acne.”  Flemington-Clare concludes, “If the beauty industry wants to be truly inclusive, it needs to start treating accessibility as the baseline, not a bonus. Until then, it’s not innovation, it’s exclusion.”