The Centre for Digital Transformation (CDT) at Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIMA) organized a Conference on Technology for Disabled Persons (CTDP) from February 21-23, 2025. This event connected researchers, technology experts, educators, and industry representatives focused on improving digital accessibility and fostering inclusion. Over three days, the conference featured keynotes, panels, and paper presentations exploring how cutting-edge technologies like AI, machine learning, assistive technology, and accessible digital content can build a more inclusive environment for persons with disabilities.
IIMA’s Dean of Faculty, Professor Satish Deodhar, emphasized the critical need for empathy in developing tech solutions for persons with disabilities, stating that technology alone is insufficient without it. Following this, Professor Pankaj Setia, Founding Chairperson of the Centre for Digital Transformation, delivered a keynote on “Purpose: The Drive for Digital Transformation,” urging researchers, academics, and policymakers in the field to prioritize purpose-driven development.
The keynote address delivered by Shri Rajesh Aggarwal, Secretary, Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwDs), Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment, Government of India, stressed the importance of early identification and intervention for persons with disabilities, noting that timely support can create significant positive change. He also highlighted the critical need for improved accessible infrastructure, citing its current lack as a major barrier to inclusion that needs to be addressed.
With over 25 years of experience in assistive technology, Professor M Balakrishnan, Distinguished Visiting Professor, Plaksha University and Honorary Professor, Computer Science and Engineering, IIT Delhi, shared insights into his entrepreneurial journey developing innovative solutions for persons with visual impairment, focusing on mobility challenges such as navigating obstacles and public transport.
In his talk titled “Some design considerations for accessible and inclusive assistive technologies” Professor Amit Prakash, Professor and Head of the Department of Digital Humanities and Societal Systems (DHSS), Convenor of Centre for Accessibility in the Global South (CAGS) at the International Institute of Information Technology Bangalore (IIITB), discussed design considerations for accessible and inclusive assistive technologies. He emphasized the crucial need to include persons with disabilities in the design process to leverage their lived experiences and ensure effective solutions.
A team from Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham comprising of Prof. Raghu Raman , Dean, Amrita School of Business, Amritapuri , and Director, Amrita Center for Research in Analytics, Technologies & Education (Amrita CREATE ), Dr. Rajlakshmi Kanjilal , Project Manager, Amrita CREATE, and Mr. Amal Krishnan UC, Project Coordinator, Amrita CREATE, and PhD Scholar, Amrita School of Business, Amritapuri attended the conference. Amrita CREATE and the Amritapuri School of Computing’s interdisciplinary AI and Disability Studies research group is actively pursuing research in areas that include development of assistive technology, inclusive education, neurodiversity awareness, and building inclusive teams.
Mr. Amal presented a poster, “Bridging the Gap for the Deaf community: Developing an Online Learning Platform for Indian Sign Language,” showcasing an interactive, accessible online Indian Sign Language (ISL) learning platform ( OLabs ). The team, comprising Dr. Prema Nedungadi , Associate Dean, Amrita School of Computing, Amritapuri, and Director, Amrita CREATE, Ms. Kathryn Devenport, Mr. Amal Krishnan UC, and Prof. Raghu Raman, aims to address the significant gap created by fragmented ISL education in India, which hinders deaf students’ grammar, sentence formation, and English comprehension.
The learning platform offers structured, interactive learning, such as color-coded vocabulary, drag-and-drop sentence building, visual assessments, and AI feedback. This approach aims to foster inclusivity by enabling both deaf and hearing individuals to learn ISL and English effectively, aligning with SDGs 4 (Quality Education). It focuses on ensuring equitable and quality primary and secondary education for all learners, eliminating disparities, and ensuring equal access for persons with disabilities, and equipping learners with the knowledge and skills needed for sustainable development, aligning with SDG sub-targets 4.1, 4.3, 4.5, and 4.7.
The “AI-Driven Indian Sign Language Chatbot: Deaf Accessibility in Digital India’s E-Governance” project was selected for a product demonstration at the conference. The project team comprises of Mr. Gautham K Dileep, Project Lead, Amrita CREATE, Mrs. Sreelekshmi A S, Software Developer, Amrita CREATE, Dr. Geetha M , Chairperson CSE (AI), School of Computing, and Dr. Prema Nedungadi. The chatbot is designed to make e-governance services accessible to the deaf community through the UMANG platform.
The chatbot facilitates seamless sign-based interaction with e-Governance services on the UMANG platform like Indian Railways, E-RaktKosh (blood bank services), and EMigrate (migration services). This project aligns with SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities) by enhancing e-governance accessibility for the Deaf community and ensuring their inclusive participation. The project contributes to SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure) by leveraging AI and deep learning to develop accessible digital solutions for persons with disabilities. The specific SDG indicators that this project focuses on SDG sub-targets 10.2 and 10.3—focus on the social, economic, and political inclusion of all, particularly persons with disabilities, by ensuring equal opportunities and eliminating barriers they face in accessing digital services.
The ISL online learning platform and chatbot embody Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham’s vision of value-based, transformative education and compassion-driven research by leveraging technology for societal impact. Both initiatives reflect Amrita’s commitment to contributing to sustainable development goals driving global impact and serving humanity through innovation. The Amrita team contributed to the conference by sharing best practices in accessible technology development and learning from other researchers, technologists, technocrats, entrepreneurs, and disability rights advocates.
Amrita Team attending the Conference on Technology for Disabled Persons (CTDP) at IIM Ahmedabad
Mr. Amal presents a live demo of “AI-Driven Indian Sign Language Chatbot: Deaf Accessibility in Digital India’s E-Governance” project.
Mr. Amal receives feedback on his research from Shri Rajesh Aggarwal, Secretary of the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD), Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment, Government of India.
A team from Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham participated in the Conference on Technology for Disabled Persons (CTDP) at IIM Ahmedabad, presenting their research posters.
