Jan 2014 – Nov 2022 · 8 yrs 10 mos

• My role involves working with government and private sector to advocate for the protection of rights of persons with disabilities. It also involves sensitization of stakeholders to create an enabling environment. Some of the key responsibilities include:
•  Advocacy with government and other stakeholders for the rights of the disabled;
•  Contributing and participating in various networks and alliances for disabled empowerment;
•  Analyzing policies with special reference to disabilities and work for necessary alteration;
•  Offering technical support to Sightsavers offices in the area of social inclusion.

Jul 2011 – Dec 2013 · 2 yrs 5 mos

• The primary responsibility of this role involved advising Sightsavers India region on social inclusion initiatives. The role also involved development and monitoring of programs aimed at policy change at national level, both through government and corporate sector. Some of the key achievements in this role were:
•  Worked successfully in bringing about amendment to Indian Copyright Act to enable access for print disabled to books, literature and multimedia.
•  Was part of a Committee set up by the government of Maharashtra pursuant to a landmark judgement of Mumbai High Court for providing aids and appliances to disabled employees working for the government.
•  Successful in getting suitable policy change and implementation for accessible banking and financial services for visually impaired.
•  Represented Sightsavers at the meeting of UN Open Working Group (November 2013 at UN Plaza, New York) for post 2015 inclusive development framework.
•  Represented Sightsavers at the UN meeting of state parties (September 2012 at UN Plaza, New York) to monitor implementation of the convention on rights of persons with disabilities.
•  Met Indian Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh to advocate for an enabling environment for persons with disabilities which resulted in additional facilities and tax rebates.
•  Worked with Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan in the area of Inclusive Education with special reference to quality of education for the visually impaired children.

May 2008 – Jun 2011 · 3 yrs 1 mo · Mumbai Area, India

• This role involved development and monitoring of programmes in the area of eye health, inclusive education and social inclusion in the states of Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Tamilnadu. This included financial forecasting budgeting and fund flow management.
• Besides this the role also entailed active advocacy for rights based policies at national level.

Apr 2006 – Apr 2008 · 2 yrs · Mumbai Area, India

• National Association for the Blind (NAB) is one of the largest and the oldest non-governmental organization working towards empowering the blind and visually impaired.
• This role involved raising resource from the corporate sector for implementation of programs of NAB. Some of the key achievements in this role were
•  Secured funding from Axis Bank for Integrated Education project implemented in rural Karnataka.
•  Secured funding for a project on ‘Training in Physiotherapy for visually impaired’ from HDFC bank.
•  Secured large funding from UBS, Switzerland for a program called ‘Independence’ aimed at livelihood development for persons with visual impairment.

Jul 2003 – Sep 2005 · 2 yrs 2 mos · Mumbai Area, India

• This role involved developing different programs for empowerment of non-institutionalized blind and visually impaired people. It included assisting them in setting up small shops and livelihood activities. It also included facilitating legal aid.
• One of the key achievement in this role was the setting up of Asia’s first ever cyber café for the blind in partnership with Microsoft.

May 1998 – Jun 2003 · 5 yrs 1 mo · Mumbai Area, India

• This role involved planning and supervising of printing materials in Braille in the largest Braille Press in the country. During my period we consolidated transition from manual to computerized production and installed state of the art printing technology first time in India.

Nov 1993 – Apr 1998 · 4 yrs 5 mos · Mumbai Area, India

• This role involved conducting distance education program of Hadley School for the Blind, USA through NAB.

Aug 1993 – Apr 1994 · 8 mos · Mumbai Area, India