BillionAbles is India’s first all-inclusive online platform to discover accessible places, products and services for persons with disabilities, health disorders, special needs and elderly. Meet Sameer Garg, the brain behind this concept that is committed to empowering people with disabilities.
Tell us about your work on the online portal - your challenges, success and aspirations.
We started working on our platform almost two years back. The initial months were spent on ideation, research and developing a blueprint for the project. Slowly, but gradually, we started developing the prototype for the mobile app which saw multiple iterations based on feedback from users. It was a tough time as we were low on resources and very few people believed in the idea.
The concept of working towards enhancing social life of PWDs (Persons with Disabilities) was not heard of especially in India. The vision was not to just cover the access details of every listing but also to provide an experience of a lifestyle product at par with other apps. Collection of first data through own sources and crowd sourcing was extremely difficult as people were not acquainted with the idea. Most feel felt that contribution of one accessible listing will not work or bring a change, but as the database grew, more and more people starting joining and supporting the cause.
Currently, the platform showcases more than 1000+ listings with 400+ verified listings. To sensitize people and populate database, a first of its kind initiative ‘AccessHunt’ was started. It is an event where volunteers come together to break into groups and map a particular locality/market for accessibility and list it on BillionAbles app. Another vertical is ‘RevvUp’ where inclusive tours and trips are planned for persons with varied disabilities.
What is your support system – family, friends or community?
My family has been really supportive and a source of strength and motivation. Due to this, I am able to focus on my vision of creating a centralized database of disabled friendly places and services across India enabling millions to live a dignified social life.
I believe that the disabled community should come out from the realm of charity model of support and empowerment. Instead, they should ask the businesses for inclusive services and products which will lead to creation of marketplace accessible for everyone. As more enterprise will recognize the power and importance of this biggest minority section of the society, it will push them to develop products and services catering to millions of persons with special needs.
What is the one thing you would like to see changed in this community for equity?
Sensitization about accessibility and inclusion for all should be a compulsory part of curriculum at primary and higher education so that it gets inculcated in the mindset and universal access is provided by and for everyone while planning any or all infrastructure/services/products. It should be planned and made available as free as the oxygen we breathe and without which one cannot live. As simple as that!
What is your view on inclusive education and on access for PWDs - are we moving forward or backward?
Inclusive education will pave the way for empowerment of this marginalized section of the society enabling them to get in the mainstream by getting access to equal opportunity and dignified livelihood. The recent deliberation of the Supreme Court regarding special schools for disabled was regressive for the whole concept of inclusion.
Though there might be instances where such special centers are required and supported as well, yet our constitutional ‘Right of Equality’ itself directs towards literary and social inclusion for all irrespective of their abilities. As the government has already launched Accessible India campaign which is directed towards making government buildings accessible, the private sector needs to open up to complement the mission. The new Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPWD) Act, 2016 is a welcome step in this direction, though the actual implementation would be a challenge.
What about the new app developed by BillionAbles?
In India, currently 21 million people are disabled as per Census 2011. As per WHO, the actual figure stood at around 100 million. In addition, persons with special needs, which includes elderly and people with severe health disorders, are around 100 million which may increase to 200 million by 2030.
These people don't have access to information about Accessibility places, products and services which can empower them to live a dignified life and enable them to earn a living. Currently, in India, no centralized online platform provides information about accessibility of places or services. The users have to search for each and every service through referrals or through search engines. Afterwards, they have to confirm it through phone calls or through mails.
We have conceptualized, researched and developed an android mobile application for providing information on Accessible places, products and services for persons with special needs.
The app lists Categories such as Education, Health, Disability Events, Public transport, Accessible tours, Accessible cabs, Accessible Washrooms, Disabled Parking spaces, Accessible Restaurants & Hotels, Accessible Shops & Malls, Accessible Entertainment Joints etc. It is a crowd sourced platform and fully accessible as per Web Content Accessibility Guidelines Working Group (WCAG WG), WCAG 2.0 which means it will be accessible by screen readers and provides option of changing font size and color contrast.
Interesting, how are you gathering the information and what else does this app allow?
First of all, there is no such organization working in India. We are crowd sourcing information from across India through our users as well as own network. Then we are authenticating and validating the Accessible Places, Services and Organizations working in the disability sector by personally visiting these.
BillionAbles will also have an option of booking the Accessible places and services for which we are already in talks with some merchants and hope to get them on board soon. It will also include the feature of providing reward points to the users for adding new locations as well as for rating and review of existing listings. These reward points will be redeemable as a rebate at selected Accessible merchant outlets.
(This article has been republished here in arrangement with Connect Special, a digital magazine, which provides solutions for challenges faced by people with disability.)
