How Indian edtech firms can enable learners with disabilities

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Hello reader,

Disabilities are sensitive and highly personal issues, but I believe that those in the tech space shouldn’t shy away from the topic. One of the reasons why I love tech is that progress doesn’t have to be limited to certain demographics – it gives everyone a chance at a better life.

In India, much of the startup spotlight has been on edtech, with the country already having six unicorns in the sector. That said, students with disabilities are still finding trouble with educational resources, especially with the shift to online learning due to the pandemic.

In today’s story, we examine what firms in the space can do to foster a more inclusive edtech environment for people with disabilities.

Today we look at:

• What India’s edtech industry is doing for disabled learners
• A decentralized health platform’s upcoming NFT collection
• Other newsy highlights such as Binance recovering some of the stolen Axie Infinity funds and Hypefast’s new CTO.

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Edtech for all

Image credit: Timmy Loen

It might feel like we’re coming to the tail end of the pandemic, but for learners with disabilities, the global health crisis has created more long-term problems. Because most educational institutions shifted online during the pandemic, many children with disabilities have found it difficult to continue at the same pace they were going before lockdowns were put in place.

In India, challenges such as a lack of in-person assistance, personalized learning programs, assistive equipment at home, and awareness about online alternatives have all contributed to this. As the country’s edtech industry surges, what are the sector’s companies doing about this issue?

• Almost double: The illiteracy rate of children with disabilities in India – an estimated 7.8 million of them – currently stands at 45% – significantly higher than the national average of 26%. Additionally, these children are part of a large out-of-school segment that has been found to be more likely to drop out.

• One step at a time: While the country’s edtech firms are facing difficulties adopting inclusive measures for learners with disabilities, there are still efforts being made within the space. Organizations such as AssisTech Foundation (ATF), which focuses exclusively on disability-oriented tech startups, have provided some relief. The 21 disability-focused startups that ATF has onboarded focus on serving people with visual, speech, hearing, physical, and intellectual impediments.

• A range of solutions: Avaz Inc is one of the startups in the ATF cohort. It provides a picture- and text-based app to help children with autism, cerebral palsy, aphasia, apraxia, or cognitive impairments communicate easily. Another company in the cohort is See Sound Live, which helps deaf sign language users develop speech.

Let’s get physical

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