Edtech Company LawSikho Has Announced 100% Scholarships for 500 Persons With Disabilities (PWD)

Gurugram-based legal edtech company LawSikho has announced 100 percent scholarships for 500 persons with disabilities (PWD). The candidates who complete the courses successfully will be co-certified by National Skill Development Corporation(NSDC).

Law graduates and law students will take an online admission test to  decide who is eligible for the scholarships, which will cover LawSikho’s test prep courses for government jobs, upskilling courses focused on jobs in the private sector, and remote freelance work courses focused to international markets like US, UK and Canada.

To qualify for the admission test, candidates must produce a government-issued disability card or certificate of disability. Out of 500 seats, 300 will be reserved for law graduates and law students, while 200 will be open to non-law candidates interested in remote freelance work. The admission test will be held in October, but candidates can appear for an online on-demand admission test even later. The goal is to roll out all 500 scholarships before December 2022.

“A small scale pilot project has already been tested and over a hundred candidates have benefited from it so far. This expansion will benefit from the learnings of the existing programme. Also, when we benefit from feedback from learners from different backgrounds, we are able to make our services more inclusive” said Ramanuj Mukherjee, CEO at LawSikho.

Masoom Reza, 24, an LLB from Jamia Millia Islamia who is currently enrolled at NLSIU Bengaluru as an LLM student, is among the many outstanding students who have already been part of LawSikho’s scholarship programme for PWD. Completely visually impaired since the age of seven, Masoom took our Judiciary Test Prep course in 2021 as part of his preparation for the Judiciary Services Competitive Examination and applied for a full scholarship, which he received.

Speaking about his LawSikho experience in general, Masoom, who stood third in the Indian Law Institute CAT for LLM, says the method of teaching is “amazing”, and adds that he has particularly benefited from Lawsikho’s practice sessions and the faculty’s approach of interlinking various laws for better understanding.

“Many job seekers with disabilities find remote work much more suitable and convenient, but very few programmes exist for them. Given LawSikho’s success in helping Indian graduates secure remote work opportunities across the world, we felt that it would be a great time to formally announce scholarships for candidates who are also Persons with Disabilities (Divyangjan). We have given free admission to over a hundred candidates already, and based on this initial success, we decided to expand the programme,” said Vibhas Sen, Head of Marketing, LawSikho, an IIM-C alumni and Paralympian himself, who was affected by polio in both legs.

Around 700 job seekers receive internships, jobs and freelance work while pursuing or after completing their courses from LawSikho every month. Candidates interested in the scholarship programme may write to support@lawsikho.in attaching their Statement of Purpose and resume, along with a government-issued proof of disability.

About LawSikho

LawSikho is India’s leading online education company that creates advanced and practical legal courses and customised training programmes catering to lawyers, law students leading businesses and universities. We bridge the gap between theory and practice in legal education, bringing industry and practical insights into legal learning. We also offer a number of courses from foreign universities at affordable rates for Indian students. With talent arbitrage being one of our focal points, we equip Indian lawyers to build high-profile careers in the international remote job market.

India's First Incubation Program for Differently Abled Persons

Inclusive Innovation – SPTBI partners with LoveActually.Me and Adfactors PR to launch India’s first incubator program for differently abled people.

Special mentor board to nurture seven Persons with Disability for next 12 months in Entrepreneurship

Mumbai, December 2, 2020: In an initiative to make the Indian Startup Ecosystem more inclusive, Sardar Patel Technology Business Incubator (SPTBI) in collaboration with social platform LoveActually.Me and India’s largest communications consultancy Adfactors PR, has launched India’s first incubator program for differently abled people wanting to pursue entrepreneurship. The program comes ahead of the world celebrating International Day of Persons with Disability on December 3.
SPTBI has announced applications for the program. The deadline for the application process is December 5 2020.

The ‘Firstpreneurs’ is a 12 month incubation program, the first four months of which will be spent in prepping up the cohort on all aspects of entrepreneurship including business, marketing, financing among others. While the program will have startup mentors to guide the incubatees, a special mentor board comprising of experts from legal, business communication, finance, sales, product development, media and marketing, is being constituted to guide and support the incubatees.

Adfactors PR has partnered with SPTBI to be the communication mentor for the program.

The special mentor board will comprise of Rahul Jain, Vice President, Startup and New Age Business practice at Adfactors PR as communication mentor, Ashutosh Burnwal, Founder of Buddy4study- largest scholarship platform in India, Veena Lala, Founder of VAL & Associates as legal mentor and Deepaq Varthak, with over 25 years of experience as sales mentor among others.

As part of the incubation program, SPTBI will groom incubatees into entrepreneurship and also provide them with support in developing their ideas. Incubatees will also be provided with access to market, seed fund and investor pool, co-working facilities apart from stage wise nurturing.

B. N. Chaudhari, Chairperson, SPTBI said, “The Indian startup ecosystem gives people a chance to change the world through their ideas. We want to make this ecosystem inclusive and equal for even those who are differently abled because skill and talent has no limit. The program will encourage people with disability to test their potential and give them an equal chance in creating innovative solutions for business and society.”

Tanushree Sharma, Founder, LoveActually.Me said, “Our motto is to bring inclusivity through equality. As a social enterprise we conduct several online and offline activities that help differently abled individuals achieve personal and professional independence. Our partnership with SPTBI stems from the strong belief that an opportunity is needed by anyone to succeed in life and through this initiative, we are helping many aspiring individuals who are disabled to turn their dream of entrepreneurship into reality.”

Indian Startups Win Big in Bid to Scale Technology for Persons with Disabilities

• Successful startups in inaugural Prosus social impact challenge improve lives of persons with hearing, mobility and speech impairment
• Three assistive tech entrepreneurs secure mentoring and a combined INR 55 lakhs on eve of International Day of People with Disabilities

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NEW DELHI , Dec. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- On the eve of International Day of People with Disabilities   on 3rd December, Prosus, the global consumer internet group of Naspers, is pleased to announce that Sohum Innovation Labs, NeoMotion Assistive Solutions and Stamurai from Demosthenes Technologies, all early-stage Indian ventures developing technology to aid persons with disabilities, have been selected as the top three startups in the inaugural Prosus Social Impact Challenge for Accessibility (Prosus SICA). Prosus SICA identifies and supports talented entrepreneurs who are developing and deploying assistive technology. Prosus has committed INR 16,500,000 over three years to the initiative.

• Sohum Innovation Labs founded by Nitin Sisodia and based in Bengaluru was awarded first place for the ingenuity and impact shown by a highly accessible device that has been designed to detect hearing impairment amongst infants and small children. The Sohum device allows for a non-invasive procedure that captures a child's response to sound stimulus in just 90 seconds. Sohum Innovation Labs embodies the theme of this year's International Day of People with Disabilities (IDPWD), which is that 'Not all disabilities are visible'. 
• In second place is Chennai -based  NeoMotion , which makes bespoke wheelchairs, designed to ensure accurate posture, energy conservation, and compactness to enhance accessibility and mobility. Founded by Swostik Sourav Dash, NeoMotion wheelchairs have a motor-powered clip-on which converts into a safe, roadworthy vehicle, eliminating the need for the user to transfer into other vehicles. 
• Third place has been awarded to Stamurai , a highly cost-effective and easily accessible mobile app which addresses speech and language disabilities. Stamurai, co-founded by Meet Singhal and located in New Delhi , automates speech therapy and serves as a personalised, digital coach to guide the user. Sohum, NeoMotion and Stamurai will receive grants of INR 2,500,000, INR 1,800,000 and INR 1,200,000 respectively.

In the fourth and fifth place are Cogniable and Thinkerbell Labs . Cogniable, co-founded by Manu Kohli , is an autism management tool which has aids with early automated screening and remote guided treatment. Thinkerbell Labs, led by Sanskriti Dawle, was chosen for Annie, a Braille literacy device that helps the visually impaired learn to read, write, and type in Braille independently through interactive audio-guided content. Annie allows for easy monitoring and evaluation of student progress via analytics. It is interactive and gives instantaneous feedback and continuously evaluates the user, making the learning experience engaging.

All five startups will be inducted into a new Prosus SICA mentorship programme, which entitles them to business advice from Prosus, technical guidance and support from World Health Organization (WHO) and an opportunity to incubate with Social Alpha, a group focused on strengthening impact innovation and entrepreneurship across India .

According to the World Report on Disability by WHO, 15 per cent of the world's population, or more than 1 billion people, are living with disabilities. WHO, a technical partner to Prosus SICA, says that in many low-income and middle-income countries, only between 5 per cent and 15 per cent of those who require assistive devices and technologies have access to them.1

Chapal Khasnabis, Head, Access to Assistive Technology and Medical Devices Unit, WHO, Geneva said: "The jury saw diverse ideas from talented startups across India . They reflected a wide variety of capabilities and proficiencies that are existing in the Indian startup ecosystem today. The top startups have incorporated expertise and effective insights into the designs they submitted."

Deepak Bagla , MD & CEO, Invest India , said: "Congratulations to the top startups. This challenge has been aimed at promoting innovation and ensuring inclusivity across the country. The challenge brings to the forefront the excellence of our innovators in developing impactful solutions for global issues."

Manoj Kumar , Founder, Social Alpha said: "Social Alpha has been a huge proponent of high-impact startups that are committed towards enhancing the quality of life of persons living with disabilities. The top startups have made commendable efforts in developing promising assistive tech solutions and addressing the issues of accessibility, affordability and equal opportunity. I congratulate the top startups of SICA and wish them the best in their journey."

Sehraj Singh, Director, Public Policy and Corporate Affairs, India , Prosus, said : "We would like to congratulate Sohum Innovation Labs, NeoMotion, and Stamurai who braved competition from more than 200 startups across India . Prosus is thrilled to work with these transformative entrepreneurs and support them in building sustainable businesses. We are equally excited to be creating social value for people who will benefit from these technologies. This journey could not have been successful without the support of our eminent jury and partners, Invest India, Social Alpha, Startup India and WHO. Together, Prosus SICA is advancing India's assistive technology industry."

Nitin Sisodia , Founder and CEO, Sohum Innovation Labs, said: "Sohum devices have the potential to screen millions of babies and young children in low-income countries for hearing impairments, ensuring timely and suitable medical intervention. Support from Prosus SICA will not only help us pursue this potential, but will also demonstrate the importance of technology in supporting inclusive growth in India and beyond."

The top startups were selected by a specialist and expert jury which evaluated a range of attributes, such as the underlying issue being addressed by each startup, product scalability, market feasibility, outcomes of clinical trials and accessibility for the ultimate beneficiaries. 2020 was the first year of Prosus SICA, this initiative will take place over the next two years.

1 WHO

About Prosus Social Impact Challenge for Accessibility

Prosus Social Impact Challenge for Accessibility (Prosus SICA) is a Prosus-backed social impact investing challenge. Prosus is committing INR 16,500,000 over three years to Prosus SICA, and each year will award grants to the top three winning startups working in the area of accessibility. First place will receive INR 2,500,000, second place INR 1,800,000 and third place INR 1,200,000

For further background about Prosus and partners supporting Prosus SICA, please visit:

Prosus: www.prosus.com
Invest India : https://www.investindia.gov.in/
Startup India : https://www.startupindia.gov.in/
Social Alpha: https://www.socialalpha.org/
WHO: https://www.who.int/india

For more information contact:
Sehraj Singh
Director
Public Policy and Corporate Affairs
Prosus
sehraj.singh@prosus.com

For media enquiries contact:
Sarah Ryan
International Media Relations Director
Prosus
sarah.ryan@prosus.com

Unable to Cope Online Learning, Disabled Students at Risk of Dropping Out

Children with disability run a huge risk of dropping out of school because of not being able to cope with the switch to online/digital medium of instruction during the COVID-19 pandemic which has led to closure of schools. Two surveys conducted by Swabhiman, a community-based organisation, and Disability Legislation Unit of Eastern India of National Centre for Promotion of Employment for Disabled People (NCPEDP), India's leading cross-disability rights organization;  and partner of Centre for Advocacy and Research (CFAR) working for the rights of disabled people, particularly children, show the current extreme vulnerability of CwDs. The report, Digital education in India: Will students with disabilities miss the bus” was released to the media today.

Swabhiman’s Dr. Sruti Mohapatra said that an underlying reality was that children from government schools belonged to poor families, and a large proportion of them were not users or owners of smartphones which are being used for online education. 

“Children with disabilities in India were already facing a myriad of discrimination due to the digital divide and the urban-rural divide. Covid19 pandemic has exacerbated the overall situation and this report has clearly demonstrated the intersectionalities that exist in our country. The survey has highlighted the challenges faced for imparting inclusive education to disabled children.  Teachers are not trained enough and unfortunately, disabled students do not seem to be their priority. Parents are not aware to deal with this transition to E-education and Children with disabilities lack the resources required to be part of inclusive education,” said Arman Ali, executive director, National Centre for Promotion of Employment for Disabled People (NCPEDP).

“The recommendations put forth must be very seriously looked into and there is a need for a conscious effort to facilitate collaboration between disabled peoples organizations, parents, schools, and the Government so that in post Covid19 education scenario, disabled children do not fall out and miss out on their fundamental right to Education,” added Arman. 

Key findings:

The surveys found that only 56.5% of students were “struggling yet attending classes” irregularly. Around 77% of students said they would not be able to cope and would fall behind in learning due to their inability to access distance learning methods while 71% said they were finding it difficult to cope with the COVID-19 social and educational scenario. The parents of as many as 90% CwDs said teachers were not giving them attention while 86% said they did not know how to use technology. As many as 76% of mothers said they did not know how to help as they themselves did not understand technology. A large proportion of teachers (81%) said they did not have accessible educational material, suitable for online learning, with them. The teachers also reported that 64% of students did not have smartphones or computers at home.

The surveys also found that 67% of students expressed their need for laptops, smartphones or tabs for educational purposes, while 77% asked for study material in alternate format suitable for children with disabilities. Around 74% of them said they needed data/Wi-fi support for educational purposes while 61% expressed a need for scribes, escorts, readers and attendants.

The surveys probed issues such as why students were not attending classes regularly. Around 71% said even when smartphones were available at home, their father was the only person who had a smartphone and was out of home most of the time for livelihood purposes, while 61% of them said they would not be able to afford buying a new smartphone as it was expensive. Among the users of smartphones, 87.4% said the connection was poor (82% said they could not see or listen to the teacher most often), while 78% of them said their fathers “did not like the concept of online classes as they consumed a lot of costly data (most recharge amounts were 399/599 for 86/54 days with 1.5 to 2GB per day). 

Protocol issues such as lack of observance of protocols to ensure group learning such as several people talking simultaneously were also reported. Importantly, 61% of students said they found it difficult to be engaged for one hour long on online classes. 39% of students said being visually impaired they were unable to understand lessons with many students talking simultaneously. No sign language interpreters were present in the webinars, said 44% of the students.

Recommendations:

The recommendations of Swabhiman are comprehensive. They cover the various aspects of students’, parents’ and teachers’ lives. Dr. Mohapatra said the first requisite is reading material in alternate formats. “This is a non-negotiable. Alternate course material must cater to different disabilities. Our recommendations include empowering students, teachers and parents so that they can play their roles more effectively,” she said.
Dr. Mohapatra said all children with disabilities cannot be clubbed as one group as they are persons with different disabilities and therefore different needs. “The current pandemic has the potential of leaving students with disabilities behind. If adequate measures are not taken urgently, they are likely to suffer irrecoverable losses in their quest for education and a life of dignity,” she said.

Voices from other states:Representatives from community based organisations who were part of the survey said children and others with disability were facing difficulties. Srinivasalu from NdPO Telangana said, “Education is not a priority here. As COVID-19 cases are increasing, the government is in a panic mode. Opposite parties are squabbling. Learning or not, at least children with disabilities were going to school, meeting friends, teachers were supporting their education and they were getting hot meals. Parents are calling every day to inform that children with disabilities are very lonely. There are many mental and psychological issues and they need counselling."

Tulika Das from Sanchar, an activist from West Bengal, said, “There is hardly any education happening. Children from middle, lower middle class and poor backgrounds are going to government schools. In West Bengal there are huge school dropouts by the children with disabilities. Our children will become invisible in education. At least they were going to school. When schools reopen, I don’t think they will be motivated to go to school anymore."

Arun Kumar Singh from Jharkhand Vikalang Manch said that while education was suffering, pensions for PwDs had run into trouble. “There is no education for children with disabilities. Basic things like disability pension have been affected. Earlier CDPO was disbursing pension for PwDs. Now, in the process of transferring disability to social welfare, due to technical issues, about 40,000 PwDs aren’t getting their pensions. In April, we filed a writ in HC and had a hearing on June 1st. The Collector was ordered to release funds and few people got 6-7 months of pension amount,” he said.

Dr. Mohapatra said Swabhiman’s recommendations include focus on disabled students’ various requirements, the need to give equal status and respect to special educators, empowering parents so that they are able to learn new technology and support their children, providing hardware support like computers/tabs to disabled students, exploring other teaching mediums such as television and community radio, and ensuring provision of nutritional support to children at home.

Disability Employer Downlights to Raise upto $300K through Equity Crowdfunding

Downlights Limited, which has recently raised $100,000 through wholesale investors, says they will go out to their crowd for their next capital raise. They are aiming to raise funds to move from their home into a factory, and increase their production and impact.

“We believe crowdfunding through PledgeMe will provide Downlights with an opportunity to bring in broad members of the community that share the same inclusive views as we do.” says founder Jennifer Del Bel.

Ms. Del Bel started Downlights when she met Emma Sykes, a woman with Down syndrome who struggled to find employment after completing her high school education. Since they started making candles together, Downlights has captured national media attention and the eye of major international celebrity, George Takei.

Downlights has also established the Downlights Charitable Trust with $1 from every candle sold being donated to NZDSA (New Zealand Down Syndrome Association) and RECREATE NZ, organisations which empower disabled youth through employment and skill-building opportunities.

Downlights is seeking to raise between $150,000 and $300,000 which represents 15.2%–26.2% of the company. Shares are $0.75 each with a minimum investment of $300 for 400 shares. Investors will receive non-voting shares, and those that pledge over $25,000 will receive voting shares.

PledgeMe founder, Anna Guenther, says the campaign aligns well with the platform’s values. “The growth of Downlights has a direct impact on the disability community. PledgeMe loves supporting companies that do good and do well, and that’s why we’re very excited to be working with Jennifer and her team on this campaign”.

“Downlights has impacted so many lives and brought good to so many people. We remain future oriented”, says Ms. Del Bel. Downlights has forecasted a 58% year-on-year growth pending the success of their equity campaign.

"In times like this, we feel our work is more important than ever. We believe we need to be building local, investing local and building companies that make a more inclusive society." says Ms. Del Bel.

The equity crowdfunding campaign was launched publicly at noon on Monday 23 March here: https://www.pledgeme.co.nz/investments/390

Downlights was first launched in 2018 in Beachlands by Jennifer Del Bel, Tony Sykes, and Emma Sykes. Jennifer already had 6 years of experience in the soy candle business with her company Illumina (later rebranded to Downlights). She met Tony and Emma Sykes, and they decided to embark on a joint venture together in which Emma would hand-pour high quality soy candles and sell them at a market. The market was a sellout and Downlights became an established company.

Downlights’ primary mission is to support young adults with Down syndrome and intellectual or learning disabilities.

About PledgeMe

PledgeMe provides a platform for Kiwis and Aussies to go to their networks for funding, and has raised just under $49 million for over 1400 campaigns in the past seven years. It is the only combined equity and project crowdfunding platform in the world.

New Scheme for Entrepreneurship Development of Disabled Persons: Gadkari

The MSME Ministry will soon announce a new scheme on entrepreneurship and skill training for disabled persons as it looks to expose their talents and provide market for their products, said Union Minister Nitin Gadkari on Monday.

Inaugurating "EKAM Fest", a week-long exhibition and sale of handicrafts, textiles and hand-looms products of artisans, traders/ entrepreneurs, belonging to 'people with disability', Gadkari said the scheme will be worked out in consultation with the ministries of Social Justice and Empowerment (SJE) and Textiles.

"I assure you that the MSME (Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises) ministry will work (out) a special scheme for the entrepreneurial and skill development of persons with disabilities very soon as the government wants to encourage, expose and provide opportunities for the products of such persons. The scheme will be worked out in consultation with the ministries of SJE and Textiles," the MSME minister said.

Gadkari also assured that the ministry would arrange business loans through the financial institutions to the disabled entrepreneurs without any collateral security. He also said that 29 per cent of the country's GDP and 48 per cent of exports are contributed by MSMEs.

Textiles Minister Smriti Irani has assured international marketing assistance to the textile/handloom products produced and marketed by the disabled entrepreneurs.

She has also promised free distribution of handloom tool kits for the disabled weavers through the textile ministry.

Social justice minister Thaawarchand Gehlot said the exhibition, organised by the National Handicapped Finance and Development Corporation (NHDFC) under his ministry, was aimed at providing an avenue for the display and marketing of the products made by people with disabilities.

The ministry is providing assistance by way of supplying raw materials, production and marketing of products generated by the disabled entrepreneurs, he added. PTI JBL