At IIIT-Bangalore’s Centre for Accessibility in the Global South (CAGS), the mission is clear: break down barriers so that every child, regardless of ability, can aspire to a career in STEM fields. Collaborating with over 120 schools for the blind across India, supported by government departments and partners like Microsoft Research and Wipro Foundation, CAGS is making strides in education, research, and outreach.
CAGS Sets Sights on Enhanced Accessibility Education and Inclusive Tech Solutions
Moving forward, CAGS is aiming to beef up their course offerings on accessibility and assistive tech, possibly even adding special streams within graduate programs. They are also eyeing the creation of certificate programs geared towards prepping folks for gigs in assistive tech and Diversity and Inclusion teams. Their research agenda is set to stay robust, delving into accessibility issues across various sectors, with hopes of partnering up with researchers and organizations for more impactful projects. But that is not all—CAGS is gearing up to host regular webinars and training sessions to spread awareness about accessibility and rally more folks to the cause. And they’re diving headfirst into community-building initiatives, like the EMPOWER conference and the Inclusive Universities Alliance, to broaden their reach and impact.
Prof. Amit Prakash’s Impactful Journey in Accessible Education and Assistive Tech
Prof. Amit Prakash, over the last two decades, the focus of his teaching and research at IIIT-Bangalore has been equity and inclusion in matters related to technology designs and policy choices, especially as they relate to marginalized social groups. In 2017, Prof. Amit, along with Vidhya Y, alumna of IIIT-Bangalore and Supriya Dey, co-founded Vision Empower to enhance inclusivity in education for visually impaired children. Their organization focuses on researching and designing educational technology tailored to the specific needs of visually impaired children, implemented in special schools nationwide. Additionally, Prof. Amit is a co-founder of Vembi Technologies which develops digital learning aids like Hexis-Antara, a braille book reader, to improve braille literacy among visually impaired children.
In December 2023, Prof. Amit was bestowed with Marichi” award in recognition of his outstanding contributions to accessible education for children with visual impairment. This accolade was bestowed by the Indirapuram Group of Institutions, New Delhi. Prof. Amit received this on the 16th of December. Marichi was awarded to those who are gamechangers, who by their relentless striving and unique approach have transformed lives.
As a Steering Committee member of the EMPOWER Assistive Technology conference, Prof. Amit has been working towards creating an effective platform for various stakeholders in the accessibility/disability ecosystem to come together, share ideas and experiences and contribute to a more inclusive society that is sensitive to the aspirations and concerns of persons with disabilities.
