Accessible ATMs in India – A Retrospective and Prospective View - A case for enhancing accessibility of ATMs for persons with visual impairment

As the website talkingatmindia.org completes a decade of its service, the XRCVC, St. Xavier’s College (Empowered Autonomous Institution), Mumbai re-emphasises its commitment to championing financial inclusion for persons with disabilities, more specifically of persons with visual impairment, in mainstream financial systems. In this paper, the XRCVC builds a case to advocate the necessity of ensuring updated data regarding locations of accessible ATMs is made available by banks and the need and feasibility of making Unified Payments Interface (UPI)-enabled cardless cash withdrawal accessible for persons with print disabilities, in particular for those with visual impairment.

Policy Papers on Inclusion of Persons with Blindness and Low Vision in Physiotherapy Education and Practice

A Policy paper for upholding the rights of education and equality for persons with blindness and low vision

Persons with blindness and low vision have been successfully practicing physiotherapy as a profession across the globe and in India for many years. Yet, the evolution of regulatory frameworks within the medical and allied health fields in India recently has had a negative impact on access to education and practice of physiotherapy for persons with blindness and low vision in the country. This paper analyses the scope of access to physiotherapy education and practice for persons with blindness and low vision in India and outlines the key challenges and recommendations across the checkpoint framework.

Regulatory gaps in physiotherapy education and practice in India: A ground-level challenge - PDF

XRCVC Building Blocks of Inclusion Policy Paper on Inclusion in Physiotherapy Education and Practice

The paper "Building Blocks of Inclusion: Policy Paper for Physiotherapy Education and Practice for Persons with Blindness and Low Vision" is very relevant to our time because recent changes in the regulatory frameworks of health sciences and allied health sciences in India have denied access to the education and practice of physiotherapy for persons with blindness and low vision, despite it being an established profession for them in India and internationally. This paper highlights core principles for the inclusion of persons with blindness and low vision in physiotherapy education and practice in India based on the laws of the land and international best practices and has been designed for regulators, education institutes, employers, professional associations, policy makers and other relevant State and national authorities in the field of physiotherapy education and practice who can apply it to their specific context.

XRCVC Building Blocks of Inclusion Policy Paper on Inclusion in Physiotherapy Education and Practice - PDF

Antarchakshu® 2.0 Season 7

XRCVC's flagship awareness and sensitisation initiative, Antarchakshu® 2.0 Season 7, has been started and will run through as a series of online and offline sit-down workshops. Participants will include corporates, students, public sector officials and many others, We wish to thank Dhun Pestonji Parakh Discretionary Trust, Godrej Industries Ltd, SBI Mutual Fund, Union Bank of India, IDFC First Bank, Lawrence & Mayo, Mendonsa Foundation, and TATA Sons Ltd for generously supporting Antarchakshu® 2.0 Season 7.

Those interested in organising a workshop for their organisations may please write to sam@xrcvc.org.

Inclusive Education Resource

The XRCVC has been actively working on research and implementation of Inclusive Education Models specifically for the Indian Context. It has built models that can be easily replicated and scaled and resources that could benefit other organisations, practitioners and persons with disabilities themselves. Below is the effort of the XRCVC to share its knowledge base with the hope that the same will help drive inclusion in various set ups. For any query or assistance feel free to contact us.

Inclusive Education Resource

STEM Education

STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education is vital to prepare the next generation, often cited as difficult for students with blindness and low vision. It has been a combination of fear, doubt, lack of knowledge, lack of teacher training skills and resources combined; to give the false verdict—It is not Possible! XRCVC actively researches and compiles STEM resources for students with blindness and low vision. It also conducts various STEM training and awareness workshops for students, educators, and other stakeholders.

The following link provides information on diverse options available for students with blindness and low vision to read and write Mathematical and Scientific notations with assistive technologies.

Reading and Writing Math with Assistive Technologies

Reports

Annual Report

Our annual reports provide a comprehensive overview of the activities of the XRCVC in the year. They highlight the impact and achievements of our programmes for the empowerment of persons with disabilities and initiatives of community outreach creating access for persons with disabilities and championing their rights.

XRCVC Annual Report 2023-2024 - PDF

For more Annual Reports

Our Impact Stories

XRCVC's annual publication of the narratives of individual success stories for the year showcases the real-life impact of XRCVC's work. To us the person behind the numbers matters the most, and our focus is on the quality of the impact rather than just the numbers reached. These narratives bring forth the diverse ways in which we address the unique needs of PWDs, both at the micro and macro-level.

Going Beyond Numbers Stories of the Real Impact of XRCVC 2023-2024 - PDF

For more Impact Stories