Saksham (Enabling) Solution

I.T.U reports technology can transform persons-with-disabilities (PwDs) participation in communities by providing unprecedented access to education, skill training and employment.

Census-of-India notes among India’s 26.8 million PwDs, 45% are illiterate and 64% are unemployed. This is because of unawareness of Assistive-Technology (A.T); lack of quality-trainings; dearth of accessible-books etc. Further, 69% PwDs reside in rural-areas where there’s limited availability of A.T. products, trainings etc.

Having resolved issues of unaffordability of A.T. devices and their incompatibility with Indian-languages, Saksham-Enabling-Solution aims to provide PwDs with free high-quality online-training on A.T. solutions provided by Saksham through multimode-delivery. It’ll ensure technology reaches last-mile users making them digitally-literate and improving their employment-outcomes.

This solution is globally adaptable and helps overcome lack of high-quality A.T. training centres/resources in rural-areas and leverages technology to connect PVI to quality A.T. trainings and resources in their homes. It’s a cost-effective solution suited for Indian PVI diversity and COVID-19 scenario.

The past two decades have witnessed the potential of technology in lives of PwDs. I.C.Ts and A.T. can transform their participation in economic, cultural and social-life of their communities by providing an unprecedented level of access to education, skills training and employment (UNDESA, 2018). Yet, despite this, latest Census-of-India notes that 45% PwDs are illiterate and 64% are unemployed.

This is because of lack of awareness about A.T. among PVI and stakeholders; lack of integration of A.T. devices to enable reading, writing in normal-script with braille in education-system; lack of accessible-books; inadequate training-resources; and miss-match between education skills-learnt and market-demand etc. ultimately affecting education, employment and lifecycle of PVI. Since PVI population is thinly spread across India, it limits individual reach. Further, PVI are concentrated in rural-areas and belong to low-income groups and cannot pay for A.T. devices and trainings unless supported.

Without an enabling-ecosystem that addresses these challenges, it’ll be difficult to break current cycle - lack of A.T. awareness; lack of digital-literacy, inadequate skill training and unemployment. This is why well-intentioned policies like PwDs job-reservation in India haven’t proved effective, as quota remains unfulfilled since PVI continue to remain unprepared for jobs. Saksham aims to break this cycle.

Saksham (Enabling) Solution will create online Saksham-Academy (website-extension and app) for PVIs across India that binds several platforms to deliver a complete-solution. It’ll offer following components:

a)     Generate A.T. awareness and provide PwDs access to 160+ affordable A.T. solutions specially developed/adapted for Indian PVI by Saksham and its subsidiary organisation, Saktek.in;

b)     Produce and disseminate 400-hours of free, quality, training-videos, audio-podcasts per-year related to A.T. solutions provided by Saksham. This will be disseminated through Saksham-Academy and linked to all channels-of-dissemination like social-media, webinars, preloaded-content on A.T devices etc. to ensure solution outreach to all including last-mile users;

c)     Since limitation of seeing creates barriers in understanding visual-modes, a common problem encountered in online-courses, Saksham-Academy would combine its online-course-delivery-system with specially created teaching/learning materials using 2D tactile-materials, 3D printed-moulds and thermoforming to complement audio-visual instructional-materials. This will extend concepts perception to PVI in distance-education mode.

d)     The current project will build awareness, provide training and membership to Saksham and DAISY-Forum-of-India established Sugamaya Pustakalaya powered by TCS-Access-Infinity, India’s largest online-library of accessible-books for print-disabled. Recognised as integral achievement of Government-of-India’s Accessible-India-Campaign, it’ll enable users to utilise its 50,000+ titles, 700,000+ books, 7+ newspapers/magazines etc. in real-time for PVI’s higher-education and skill-training.

Lack of awareness about A.T. solutions, digital-illiteracy; inadequate skill-training, dearth of accessible-books etc. results in low higher-education opportunities and subsequently employment for PwDs as seen in Census-of-India.

45% PwDs (51% in rural-areas) are illiterate. Among literate-population only 5% are graduates explaining why two-third PwDs are unemployed. Since PwDs are thinly spread across India, many are unable to afford proper A.T. solutions and training because of issues of mobility, lack of facilities in their locations and unaffordability etc.

Saksham and Saktek offer this population and India’s 5million+ PVI meaningful inclusion in education and employment through timely technological-intervention. By generating A.T. awareness, creating access to 160+ A.T. solutions and providing free high-quality trainings including computer-literacy and linking them to existing Sugamaya-Pustakalaya ecosystem at the comfort of their homes, we improve their higher-education and employment possibilities. While we focus on visual-disabilities, our model is scalable to other disabilities.

We have end-to-end capabilities for solution-development, customization, distribution, training and strong partnerships with academic and industry partners enabling us to develop/deliver high-quality trainings suited for Indian-diversity. Many of our employees also have personal experience with disability, giving us deep insight into user-needs, accessibility challenges and enabling us to develop and deliver impactful products and services.

Despite technological-advancement in A.T., PVI and stakeholders remain unaware about its potential in enabling reading/writing in normal-script as everyone instead of traditional braille. This combined with inaccessible-books/content and expensive training means only 5% of 26.8million PwDs graduate resulting in 64% being unemployed (Census-of-India). Unfortunately, PVI who graduate also remain unprepared for current-market, government-jobs where digital-literacy is pre-requisite. By equipping Indian PVI with a complete-solution that creates A.T. awareness, provides access to 160+ A.T. products and creates/disseminates free quality online-trainings, Saksham-Academy will ensure PVIs become digitally-literate, gain durable skills needed to retain jobs in changing market, irrespective of their socio-economic background.

1. Device with training and connectivity to content and ecosystem.
2. Academy binds several online services such as Sugamya Pustakalaya and Saktek.in online store to deliver complete solution to much wider number of beneficiaries of geographic, language and economic diversity
3. Most competitors provide only part of solution which drastically reduces chances of impact. Example training centres do not provide devices and connectivity to content. Thus acquired skill is not usable.

We use online course delivery systems along with 2D tactile materials and 3D models to extend perception of concepts to persons with blindness or low vision in distance education mode. Limitation of seeing creates barriers in understanding through videos or other visual modes which is very common in online courses. Saksham academy combines online courses along with specially created teaching learning materials using 3D printed moulds and thermoforming to complement audiovisual instructional materials.

I.C.Ts and A.T. can transform the participation of persons with disabilities in the economic, cultural and social life of their communities by providing an unprecedented level of access to education, skills training and employment (I.T.U, 2003).

It helps level the playing field for persons with disabilities and offers an opportunity to reduce the “othering” of students and employees with disabilities. In addition, it can benefit persons who may not identify as having a disability or have a late onset of disability (Foley and Ferri 2012; Raja, 2016). Given the multiple modes of I.C.Ts – video, voice, text - available, it is suitable for the diversity within the disabled population, providing multiple solutions as per the individual’s needs.

The catalytic role of A.T. and I.C.Ts in employment is also recognized in the UNCRPD that requires state parties to facilitate learning of augmentative and alternative modes, means and formats of communication (Article 24 3.b and 3.c). The body conceptualizes accessibility as a dynamic concept requiring periodic regulatory and technical adjustments. In addition, it encourages States to ensure that rapid development of innovations and new technologies designed to enhance learning are accessible to all (General Comment 4, 2016).

Reading and writing solutions in mainstream script using computers were introduced in 1992 in India. However, non-affordability and lack of support for Indian languages resulted in these technologies reaching very few. Today the technology and affordability gaps have been bridged.  The challenge being addressed through Saksham solution is to manage the change to adopt new solutions not just by the users but also their teachers, institutions, parents, and main steam school teachers. Saksham introduced complete eco-system of solution to more than 500 persons with blindness or low vision from June 2018 till November 2019 under the simply Reading Catapult project. An impact assessment study was conducted involving independent consultant. The results are extremely encouraging, but, also provided insights into few corrective steps to be taken in future implementations. This project worked as a pilot for strengthening the See A Million Strategy.

Impact assessment and research is integral part of Saksham’s effort for introducing, facilitating and managing change. We are continuing research to create evidence to base our policy on right tools and right age to introduce these solutions.

Saksham’s objective is not just to provide special solution but the first preference is to introduce universal design principals in the mainstream products and services. For example, although we have established a special online library, however, we see it as a fallback mechanism. We are putting wholehearted efforts to work with publishers and mainstream libraries and online bookstores to be inclusive and all books are born accessible. This is a much bigger challenge as we strive to change mainstream publishing workflows to include persons with special needs. The real change that we are seeking is that we should remove the reasons for our own existence as a special service provider.

Saksham and Saktek have directly helped provide 48,000+ low-cost A.T. solutions to people in India and countries in Asia, Africa and Europe, where these were previously unavailable.

In addition, we have helped 10,000+ people access subsidized A.T. through government schemes, Corporate Social Responsibility partners and individual donors, enabling them to purchase A.T. solutions. We have carried 100+ workshops and trained 8000+ PwDs to use different assistive devices.

Our Sugamaya Pustakalaya by TCS Access Infinity project-component has 32,000+ registered users 55,000+ downloads.

In the next year we aim to reach 20,000+ beneficiaries and our vision is to grow in the next 5 years into an organization that will positively impact the lives of at least 1 million PwDs, their support groups and service providers.

The goal of reaching 1 million PwDs in the next 5 years is a key organizational goal shared by both organisations and part of ‘See-A-Million’ strategy jointly prepared by Indian DPOs collective called DAISY Forum of India of which Saksham is a founding-member.

In 2019, Saksham and Saktek launched saktek.in, India’s first online-store with largest collection of A.T. tools. We cannot create an impact by providing A.T. devices unless the device is delivered with sufficient training.  Given current COVID-19 circumstances and its effect on mobility particularly for PwDs, Saksham started online webinars and tutorials instead of face-to-face trainings.

Interestingly, online-trainings worked out to be effective alternative and have increased outreach many-folds. Where normally a single-workshop could reach 150 participants, our first webinar reached 1700+ and its recording was viewed 900+ times. There is an urgent need to create audiovisual training materials for A.T. solutions. We believe development of Saksham-Academy will meet this need amid the pandemic and fill an important gap by binding together different services available for PwDs such as awareness and access to A.T. solutions (Saktek.in), trainings and Sugamaya Pustakalaya, all of which combine to form a complete-ecosystem while ensuring maximum outreach and inclusion of last-mile learners.

In the next 5-year, we aim to impact lives of 1 million PVI as detailed out in our See-A-Million-Strategy jointly developed by India’s PVI sector. The implementation of this goal will utilize Saksham’s existing network of 190+ DFI member-organisations, key identified collaborators of SAM strategy as well as our 150+ Pan India national partners.

Target population is thinly spread out all over the country. Of the 26.8 million persons with disabilities in India, nearly 69% are based in rural areas across various Indian states. Thus reaching out to individuals with skill development required for solution is a barrier.

Most persons with disabilities experience adverse socioeconomic outcomes than persons without disabilities, such as less education, lower levels of employment, and higher poverty rates. Disability and poverty are cause and effect of each other. USERS THEMSELVES CANNOT PAY FOR SOLUTIONS.

Although the National Poverty Line does not consider cost of living with disability, when added, the poverty rate for persons with disabilities increases substantially (World Bank, 2005).

1. Increase reach of each trainer is multiplied using Saksham Academy courses.
2. Partnerships for local and last mile delivery can ensure quality skill development related to solutions with lesser qualified resource persons
3. Partnership with government and CSR programs will subsidise solutions for those who cannot afford

Saksham and its subsidiary organisation Saktek Foundation have a total of 90 employees – 56 full-time employees and 34 part-time employees.

Saksham is a national award-winning NGO working for PVI empowerment in India for 15+ years. It’s led by Dipendra Manocha (President-DFI), Ashoka Fellow and a recognized social-entrepreneur and pioneer in disability-sector. A PVI himself, he is credited for development of Hindi-Language-Braille-transcription-software; Screen-Reading-Software-for-Indian-Languages; and Digital-library for print-disabled, among others. A two-time President-Award recipient, he continues to represent disability-sector in Government-of-India committees on disability, accessibility and digital-empowerment.

Saksham has made a dent in Indian A.T. sector with products like Indo-NVDA screen-reading software, Saksham-E10 Hardware DAISY-player, refreshable-braille-display etc. while retaining focus on affordability. In 2016, it created Sugamaya-Pustakalaya powered by TCS-Access-Infinity, which was recognized as an integral achievement by Government-of-India’s Accessible India Campaign.

Further, it has successfully delivered large-scale projects with INGOs, Government of India and UN:

·       DFI and Saksham implemented Simply-Reading-Project of DAISY Consortium under ‘Seeing-is-Believing’ initiative. The project created specification for easy-to-use interface for reading books on a touch-screen; developed a Simply-Reading App.

·       Under phase-2 project, it prepared ‘See-A-Million Strategy’ and produced 73,685 accessible-content pages, provided 577 Simply-Reading-Devices and trained 226 master-trainers who trained PVI in using Simply-Reading-Solution and created tutorials for various devices, among others. Independent impact-assessment by Daisy-Consortium noted the qualitative-impact of digital-literacy in lives of PVI and increase in their learning opportunities and outcomes; independence; mobility; self-esteem; self-confidence; and social-inclusion under the project.

·       Under ABC project in partnership with WIPO, Daisy-Consortium, Government-of-India: Saksham ended book-famine for high-school PVI in 3 Indian states and built capacity among government-publishers of textbooks to create accessible-books. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5K5YZ5ziaI

We partner/collaborate with organisations in the following ways:

·       Acquiring existing technology-solutions from global market and making them available locally at low-prices. Ex. we sourced talking-thermometer in bulk from a company in China and made it available at one-tenth the market price in India.

·       Customising existing solutions to meet Indian-needs. Ex we customised/added support for 16 Indian languages to Evo 10 wi-fi enabled Daisy player, a book reading device, making it available in India for 142 USD, a quarter of the market price.

·       Developing new technology solutions in partnership with reputed technology institutions such as IIT and industry, in cases where there are no existing solutions eg. Smart cane. It has vibration patterns enabling user to identify objects in the way while walking. Dot-Book which is a laptop with a Braille key board is another such invention.

·       Making assistive technology solutions available across India through our website www.saktek.in

·       Assisting PwDs with low income to access funding for A.T. in cases where even low-cost solution is unaffordable. For e.g. we helped more than 10,000 people to access subsidised A.T. through government schemes, Corporate Social Responsibility partners and individual donors, enabling them to purchase accessible technology solutions.

·       Providing training  and ongoing support to PwDs to use A.T. We have carried out 100+ workshops and training 8000+ PwDs to use different assistive devices including in education institutions such as National Association for the Blind, OP Jindal University, Hellen Keller school etc.

Smart phone, computers and several other technology solutions change definition of what persons with disabilities can or cannot do. However, very few are using these solutions. Training and support services along with updated knowledge about latest developments shall fill this gap. Our business model is to make the technology solution available at lowest possible cost for those who can afford them and also partner with government and corporates to subsidise these solutions for those who do not have paying capacity. Providing these services through not for profit organisation is ensuring affordability and is enabling contributions from the community.

We aim to ensure earn by partnering with government and corporates including utilising grants, CSR funds and raising money through industry partners and institutional grants.

We believe that the MIT solve award will enable us to connect with different world reputed disability organisations, get support from an internationally renowned institution for furthering our technical advancements in creating and delivering AT solutions in India and provide the necessary exposure for our organisation which will ultimately our support us in our efforts to increase the outreach of our solution.

While we have developed technical AT products and solutions, the next challenge lies in ensuring that we can provide it in the hands of every user including persons with disabilities in remote villages of India. For this, we require and look for service distribution partners who can help us reach rural areas and tier 2 and tier 3 cities. 

In addition we would also require marketing and media exposure and links with communication partners who can support us in disseminating our trainings and creating awareness among all stakeholders including persons with disabilities, their families, education and employment stakeholders at large as well as the larger society to change the stereotypes around potential of persons with disabilities and supporting their inclusion in economic and employment sector.

Despite technological-advancement in A.T., PVI and stakeholders remain unaware about its potential in enabling reading/writing in normal-script as everyone instead of traditional braille. Lack of awareness combined with inaccessible-books/content and expensive training means only 5% of India’s 26.8million PwDs are graduates and 64% are unemployed (Census-of-India). This is compounded by the fact that PVI population is thinly spread across India that limits individual reach. Further, PVI are concentrated in rural-areas and belong to low-income groups and cannot pay for A.T. devices and trainings unless supported.

Unfortunately, even those who graduate remain unprepared for current-market, government-jobs where digital-literacy is pre-requisite. This is why well-intentioned policies like PwDs job-reservation in India haven’t proved effective, as quota remains unfulfilled since PVI continue to remain unprepared for jobs.

Saksham aims to address these issues. Having resolved issues of unaffordability of A.T. devices and their incompatibility with Indian-languages, Saksham-Enabling-Solution aims to use the GM Prize on Good Jobs and Inclusive Entrepreneurship to create an online Saksham-Academy (website-extension and app) for PVIs across India that binds several platforms to deliver a complete-solution.

It will equip Indian PVI with an enabling-ecosystem that creates A.T. awareness, provides access to 160+ A.T. products and provides free quality online-trainings along with connectivity to Sugamaya Pustakalaya for users, India’s largest online accessible library for print disabled. It will ensure PVIs become digitally literate, gain durable skills needed to retain jobs in changing market irrespective of their socio-economic background and improve their inclusion and integration in Indian economy and employment sector.