ABOUT ATA

Samarthanam’s Assistive Technology Accelerator (ATA) was established in 2018 to promote start-ups focused on assistive technology for persons with disabilities. ATA’s mission is to ensure access to affordable, appropriate assistive technology for people with disabilities. As part of its interventions, ATA has digitized over 40 special schools with assistive technology and modernized over 200 government schools. Additionally, ATA has signed an MoU with DSERT, Government of Karnataka, to convert textbooks for classes 1 to 3 into sign language videos for government-run English medium schools.

Furthermore, ATA is converting its Livelihood Resource Centre training content into AI-based, automatic sign language videos. It has also partnered with assistive technology start-ups to expand the reach of assistive technology across India. In pursuit of its mission, ATA organized awareness conclaves on assistive technology in Bangalore (February 2023) and Mumbai (January 2024). These conclaves aimed to foster 360-degree awareness among all stakeholders on user-centric design, enhancing the availability and affordability of assistive technology.

Launched in 2019, Samarthanam’s Assistive Technology Accelerator saw the participation of 22 start-ups specializing in assistive technology during its 2019 conclave. Through ATA, Samarthanam aspires to extend the benefits of technology to people with disabilities at an affordable cost. This unit showcases unique tech solutions for people with disabilities in inclusive and livelihood-based settings, serving as an information hub for all technological solutions catering to their needs.

PROJECTS

MODERNIZATION OF SPECIAL SCHOOLS AND UNIVERSITIES ACROSS INDIA:-

26 Blind Schools across India

26 blind schools across India have been equipped with digital computer labs featuring screen-reading software.

5 Blind Schools in MP

5 blind schools in Madhya Pradesh have received computer labs for the blind.

5 ID Schools modernized

5 ID (Intellectual Disability) schools have been modernized with tablets using AVAS AAC software.

DSMNRU, Lucknow modernized

DSMNRU, Dr Shakuntala Misra National Rehabilitation University Lucknow, has been upgraded with 20 computers equipped with JAWS screen-reading software and 4 Kibo OCR devices.

JRDSU, Chitrakoot modernized

JRDSU, Chitrakoot, has been modernized with 25 computers and 4 Kibo OCR devices.

CONTENT ACCESSIBILITY:-

CONTENT ACCESSIBILITY FOR THE DEAF

Automatic sign language through the 3D avatar “Arya” has been incorporated into the LRC training modules for English and Computers. This feature has been deployed in all Samarthanam LRC centers across India.
Samarthanam’s website has been enhanced with “Let’s Talk Sign,” an automatic sign language feature for improved accessibility.

CONTENT ACCESSIBILITY FOR THE BLIND

Samarthanam’s website has undergone accessibility testing, and all bugs have been fixed, making the site more accessible for blind users.

In STEM accessibility, research and development efforts have been conducted on STEM-related problems, and two solutions have been developed.

TRAINING & CAPACITY BUILDING:-

Details

Digital accessibility training for visually impaired (VI) court staff was conducted at the Karnataka Judicial Academy in collaboration with the e-Committee of the Supreme Court of India. A total of 19 batches were completed, training 374 VI court staff across district courts in Karnataka.
As part of the “Android as Assistive Technology” initiative, 88 smartphones equipped with Android accessibility features were provided and training was conducted for VI beneficiaries. This was done through a collaborative project involving Google, GDI Hub, and CAGS-IIITB.
Training sessions on assistive technologies were conducted for trainers from 25 special schools across India.

Events:-

Awareness Conclave 2023 & 2024

Hackathon – Bangalore & Chennai

Partnership Collaboration:-

Details

GDI Hub
Government of Karnataka – Signed an MoU for modernizing blind schools across Karnataka.
DSMNRU, Dr Shakuntala Misra National Rehabilitation University Lucknow, – Partnership established through an MoU.

JRDSU, Jagadguru Ramanandacharya Rajasthan Sanskrit University Chitrakoot.

DSERT, Department of State Educational Research and Training – MoU for converting English medium textbooks for classes 1 to 3 into sign language videos.

Numerous partnerships with assistive technology (AT) vendors and solution providers have been established. Examples include Deep Vision Tech, SHG Technology, Helping Hands, Bookshare, Torchit, Smart On, One Mudra, and Yali Mobility. In addition, Samarthanam collaborates with pioneering academic institutions such as CAGS-IIITB, IIT Madras, and IIT Delhi to create inclusive and accessible solutions for persons with disabilities.