Saksham empowers persons-with-print-disabilities (PVIs) through technology-solutions, education and skill-development by using ICT-infrastructure/devices to remove environmental and attitudinal-barriers1Saktek online-store
a. Objective: Active participation of PVI in education, employment-sectors amid shift to online-learning/work amid lockdown.
Result: 350+ students provided digitally literacy A.T. solutions at subsidized-rates with training and content (including laptops, smartphones, tablets, DAISY-players, Dotbooks, RBDs) through support of Embassy-of-Germany and other partners.
b. Objective: Timely-delivery of A.T. products/devices including medical/health-products so that PVI are independent and self-reliant especially during COVID-19.
Result: Delivered 3000+ A.T. solutions from Saktek’s portfolio of 160+ products for PVI with all necessary precautions. Procured and disseminated devices relevant for pandemic like talking-oximeter
2. Accessital
a. Objective: Meet urgent demand of accessible-book-production while following necessary restrictions amid shift to online-learning and PVI inability to travel and buy bulky braille-books.
b. Result: Through Accessital, web-based-platform for converting print into accessible-format Saksham registered 300+ volunteers worldwide who supported efforts with complete online workflow. We partnered with local disability-NGOs (Enable, Amogh) and employed 25 PwDs thereby offering them steady livelihood-opportunity.
3. Sugamaya Pustakalaya
a. Objective: PVI students have accessible-books irrespective of their location to appear for exams. Adequate support is offered to new-users.
b. Results: Sugamaya-Pustakalaya provided accessible-books for PVI including to Delhi-University students. Recorded 14% increase usage of this tech-platform with 700+ new users and 400 new-titles being created and uploaded during Covid. Library enabled users to download, read books from hometowns. Saksham-Helpline was created whereby students could directly place and receive

http://saksham.org/

• India

• People with disabilities

"Saksham has always believed in ensuring that devices are provided along with content and training to users as a holistic solution ensuring ease of access and one-stop solution for users. We believe this methodology is replicable and can be adopted by schools, organisations and institutions working for PVI.

We also believe that our Accessital platform and Sugamaya Pustakalaya library are well suited for the current lockdown and can be replicated in middle-income and low-income countries."

"The World Blind Union estimates that less than 1% of published books are ever made into accessible-formats in the developing-countries. There is a significant demand for accessible books in India. The Sugamaya Pustakalaya is filling this gap and is powered by TCS Infinity which made the technology available to the DFI consortium of 190+ entities including government bodies, educational-boards and universities, publishers and NGOs involved in providing accessible-books available to PVI with a perpetual license at zero-cost.

In addition to this all books created on our Accessital platform (developed as part of previous DAISY consortium project) are uploaded onto Sugamaya Pustakalaya. Accessital therefore compliments Sugamaya Pustakalaya and ensures there is minimum wastage of resources and no duplication of work. At the same time Sugamaya Pustakalaya also provides a complete ecosystem for various stakeholders and has 80+ production and distribution partners on-board thereby ensuring communication among all stakeholders and effective stocktaking and strategy.

Saktek is a not-for-profit company, which makes affordable A.T. devices available to customers and generates its income through this and by conducting webinars, where relevant. We also utilize our existing database of donor organisations and raise money through CSR grants, individual donors, institutional grants etc. and govt. tenders."

Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all, Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all, ICT applications: benefits in all aspects of life — E-learning, Cultural diversity and identity, linguistic diversity and local content