However, the technologies that are being increasingly integrated into education can make life more difficult for some population groups which include people with disabilities. For example, the digital platforms and apps that are increasingly used for students are often not accessible to those who cannot touch screens, such as students with physical or visual impairment.

At BarrierBreak, we assist you in authoring VPATs for LMS & EdTech tools to help you comply to Section 508.

Accessibility is easier when you are a start-up

A common misconception, due to which most of the EdTech start-ups discount students with disabilities from their target user-base, is that the number of disabled students is very small. As per the UNICEF data, nearly 240 million children  in the world today have some form of disability.

Implementing accessibility from the start is much easier than trying to incorporate accessibility once you have developed a digital platform or an app.  As the role of technology in education continues to expand, it is important that as a start-up, accessibility is not an afterthought.

Accessibility can protect your start-up against lawsuits

No matter how small your start-up is, accessibility applies to everyone. With the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) reauthorized in 2004 and amended in 2015 and Section 504 the demand for an accessible EdTech environment continues to grow

Accessibility helps you generate a positive buzz

EdTech Accessibility is more than just providing an augmenting experience, it is a holistic practice, that can not only level the playing field for students with disability but enhance the overall learning experience for all. Beyond legal requirements, a commitment to providing equal access to education is the right thing to do.

Governments across the world are becoming increasingly interested in funding and supporting entrepreneurship in the field assistive technology and projects that aim at accelerating accessible innovations. Get better understanding about accessibility guidelines and standards such as Web Content Accessibility Guideline (WCAG) and Section 508. 

Make an informed decision by working closely with publishers and educational institutes and evaluating the accessibility needs of students with disabilities.

To know more about our services visit the Accessible EdTech page. We understand that practicing effective EdTech accessibility can be challenging and if you would like to know how BarrierBreak can support you, get in touch with our accessibility expert.

The post How can Edtech Startups benefit from adopting Accessibility? appeared first on Leader in Offshore Accessibility Testing | Section 508 Compliance | WCAG Conformance | BarrierBreak.

In 2004, when I got funded by Aavishkaar, honestly I didn’t know much of the social enterprise or the venture capitalist world. I didn’t even know what it meant to have an investor.

Was fortunate to have Aavishkaar & Vineet Rai believe in the idea of BarrierBreak & my own family who was willing to back the idea with capital.

But honestly, was funding the primary need for us at that time.

In retrospect, no it wasn’t. I wish I knew this then.

I did find some amazing people who have mentored and helped me in my journey whether it was Pravin Gandhi, Arun Diaz or even conversations with the R. Sriram, Paula Mariwala or so many people I met through TiE or other connects and networks.

But the one gap I always felt, was no one really understood the disability market or the needs of the disabled community. Initially, it took time for everyone to realize that I was looking to go beyond the charity model. I wanted to create a sustainable & profitable business.

I am thankful that each of these people came into my life, asked the right questions, gave me the kind of advice that an entrepreneur needs, connected me with people I could learn from, helped me identify next steps, got me to think clearly of what I was doing or even just listened to.

As recently as last year, I was thinking of an e-commerce platform for disability solutions and the difficult conversations around the merits and perils of the e-commerce world, buying power of the audience, versus the scalability of the model made me decide to not go ahead.

My initial reaction was I want to do this but when I sat and listened and answered the tough questions, I realized that this wasn’t an area where I would get the impact I wanted to.

So if you want a mentor to help you in your startup focusing on disability solutions then apply now for the BarrierBreak Assistive Technology Startup Mentorship Program.

The post Mentorship — A gap for Assistive Technology Startups appeared first on Leader in Offshore Accessibility Testing | Section 508 Compliance | WCAG Conformance | BarrierBreak.

BarrierBreak is proud to announce the 3 month Assistive Technology Startup (ATS) Mentorship Program to assist startup founders focusing on solutions for people with disabilities. The ATS Mentorship Program will help startups identify & solve for their  focus areas.

What we bring to the table is the deep knowledge of the disability sector, market understanding from India  & global perspective & business acumen.

Our 1st Cohort will be mentored personally by Shilpi Kapoor, our CEO who has proven that disability solutions can be nurtured into a sustainable model. Being a serial entrepreneur herself, she saw this gap in the Assistive Technology startup community and is looking to break this barrier and see people succeed in this space.

India Perspective

In the last 5 years, India has seen a surge in startups focusing on assistive technology or disability solutions. This has been a pleasant change. Since this is a relatively nascent segment, we do see them struggle to find the business model & market access that would help them become sustainable, scalable and profitable.

In the period pre-COVID, we saw 4 startups bear the brunt and have to close down. Yes, in the startup world, not every startup is a success. A recent study, “Entrepreneurial India,” by the IBM Institute for Business Value and Oxford Economics, found that 90% of Indian startups fail within the first five years. So yes, this will be true for startups focusing on disability, but can we give them a winning chance?

Why BarrierBreak ATS Mentorship Program?

The BarrierBreak ATS Mentorship Program will be a 1-1 mentoring with the startup founders where they will learn to think through their challenges & opportunities, identify solutions, create task oriented measurable plans to get to their goals. We will be starting small with only 3 startups in the C0hort.

We don’t ask you for Equity but we do ask you to be open and transparent, so we can together find the solutions.

Your idea is yours, all we want to do is support you think it through and help you succeed.

We won’t be doing the hard work for you, you will be doing it for yourself.

We don’t offer you heaven and earth in 3 months, but we do offer that you will have clarity on your plan and steps ahead to achieve your goals.

Shilpi believes that “Disability is so entrenched in the charity model, and we see most startups struggle to break out of that mindset. Yes, CSR should be one of the areas for disability solutions to be delivered to the end customers, but the differentiator will be to see how we can look at other business models to scale and create impact. So if you want to break the shackles and think out of the box, then send in your nomination for the BarrierBreak Assistive Technology Mentorship Program.”

If you have any questions, send in an email to mentorship@barrierbreak.com with your mobile number, so we can call you back to discuss.

Timeline

• Applications Close – 8th October
• Application Interview Process – 12th to 16th October
• Final Cohort Announcement – 22nd October
• Mentorship Period – 1st November to 31st January

How to Apply

Before you send in your nominations, ensure you are:

• Open to discussions, suggestions, and feedback
• Committed to investing time and working on the plans
• Ready to think out of the box

If you are an entrepreneur focused on a solution that impacts people with disabilities, don’t wait, Apply Now!

The post Launching the BarrierBreak Assistive Technology Startup Mentorship Program appeared first on Leader in Offshore Accessibility Testing | Section 508 Compliance | WCAG Conformance | BarrierBreak.