Former Chief Justice of India Hon. D.Y. Chandrachud inaugurated ‘The Accessibility Research Centre’ (ARC) at Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) on 6th October 2025.

This marks a transformative milestone in reimagining education through the lens of accessibility and inclusion in India.

The inaugural event brought together several other key dignitaries as well who underscored the importance of building inclusive academic ecosystems. Among those present were Prof. V. Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras; Dr. S. Govindaraj, Chief Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment; Dr. Sanjay Jain, Professor of Law, National Law School of India, Bangalore, and Ms. Poonam Natarajan, Founder, Vidya Sagar.

The ARC was founded by Dr. Hemachandran Karah, Associate Professor, Department of Humanities and Social Sciences. He is also the Principal Investigator of the research centre. Other two co-founders are Prof. Saji K. Mathew, Head, Professor, Department of Management Studies; and Prof. Nilesh J. Vasa, Professor, Department of Engineering Design.

Addressing the launch event, Former Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud said, “The Inaugural of ARC is truly a seminal moment in the history of the Institution. This marks a confluence of three elements – Technology; conversation concerning policy publicly; and democratisation of accessibility norms, and the intrinsic values it gives in terms of dignity, liberty and equality”.

Shri D.Y. Chandrachud added, “Through public conversations, we ask critical questions, speak truth to power and engage with each other, being enriched by learning from different-lived experiences than our own. But public conversation itself is not sufficient to bring about change in society. We live in a world of technology where Artificial Intelligence and quantum computing are changing the way we look at life and the manner in which we are being impacted every day by revolutionary changes that are happening in the world outside.” “The power of knowledge, which the IIT tradition embodies, is crucial as technology combined with modern knowledge is capable of providing access to the disabled.

This inauguration represents a significant milestone in advancing the vision of knowledge accessibility and inclusion. The launch of ARC stands as a testament to the collective imagination of all who believe in rethinking education at systemic levels.

Assuring the Centre of all support from the Institute, Prof. V. Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras, said, “If our country has to shine and take pride, one of the important aspects is inclusivity. We must democratise opportunity for every citizen in the country and that is our first area of focus in the ‘Anaivarakum IITM’ (IITM For All) initiative. The Institute has set up a centre specifically for accessibility that has developed wheelchairs and scooters that power easy mobility across the campus. IIT Madras has also developed and launches India’s lightest active wheelchair. The Institute also organizes frequent events such as one full-day games for the physically challenged. We are seeing a lot of talent in this event.”

The Accessibility Research Centre (ARC) at IIT Madras is conceived as a global forum for discussions on universal accessibility. It will focus on designing learning environments that go beyond individually-oriented assistive technologies, instead integrating accessibility into the very foundations of education at schools and universities.

Its mission is to reform the way knowledge is created, taught, and experienced so that disability is no longer seen as an impediment to participation, but as a critical lens through which inclusivity can be achieved.

Inviting all stakeholders to work together for an accessible and inclusive society, Dr. S. Govindaraj, Chief Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, said, “This is a great moment for every one of us...Accessibility which provides liberty and a freedom for us to move around, accessibility is the key for us to move around is important. Without Accessibility, we cannot create a society that we desire to be inclusive. Accessibility and inclusivity are two sides of the same coin. I can tell you that we are slowly achieving it. Today’s scenario is not what it was a decade back and we are hopeful that in the near future, we will be able to achieve what we want. What we require is not sympathy but empathy like what IIT Madras has done today.”

Ms. Poonam Natarajan, Founder, Vidya Sagar, expressed her happiness that ARC is working for the most marginalized sections of society and taking forward disability issues. She also hoped that The ARC will come up with significant assistive technology solutions to promote accessible and inclusive education.

At ARC, the vision is a world where academic disciplines are inherently inclusive. The Centre seeks to integrate accessibility not as a supplement but as an organising principle, reshaping educational cultures through digital innovation, teacher training, and technologies such as Artificial Intelligence and Extended Reality (XR).

By addressing Disability and Discipline (D&D) nexus, ARC aims to bridge the knowledge gaps that persist in accommodating persons with disabilities across academic fields.

The ARC seeks to transform research, teaching, learning, and collaboration by embedding accessibility at the heart of academic and creative life. It envisions an ecosystem where accessibility is not an afterthought but an intrinsic part of curricula, pedagogy, and policy.

‘EN-VISIONING BLIND ETHOS’ SYMPOSIUM

To coincide with the Centre's launch, a four-day symposium titled “En-Visioning Blind Ethos: Exploring Accessibility and Inclusion in Art” scheduled from 7th to 10th October 2025 was organised by The Accessibility Research Centre; Department of Humanities and Social Sciences; Teaching Learning Centre; the Inclusive Education cell at IIT Madras, in collaboration with The National Institute for Empowerment of Persons with Multiple Disabilities (NIEPMD). The symposium brought together blind and visually impaired artists, researchers, educators, and allies to explore the creative possibilities of accessibility in the arts.

Inaugurating the symposium, Dr. Akhila Vimal, Founder & Managing Trustee of Sapta Foundation, Varanasi, and the primary curator of the event, expressed her hope that the symposium would encourage all participants to view art from a transformative perspective and emphasized the importance of making art accessible to persons with visual impairments. She explained how the symposium was conceived with the intent of creating a platform for dialogue, collaboration, and artistic exchange rooted in disability justice and inclusive practice.

Moving beyond conventional frameworks of access, the event is centred on the lived experiences and creative methodologies of blind and low-vision artists. Dr. Hemachandran Karah, Associate Professor, Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, and the convenor of the symposium said that the disabled artists are everywhere and yet remain invisible. It is time that we recognise structurally the art-world they shape by their very presence.

Prof. Rajesh Kumar, Head, Department of Humanities and Social Sciences and Professor of Linguistics and English Language, IIT Madras, and one of the convenors, emphasized that accessibility should not be an afterthought or retrofit; rather, it must be considered from the very conception of any idea, design, or curriculum—especially in fields such as art education and art performance. Ms. S.K. Anandhalakshmi, Lecturer, Dept of Clinical Psychology, NIEPMD Chennai, one of the co-convenor of the symposium said art accessibility is central to self expression and that is the core of symposium.

During the valedictory session of the symposium, Chief Guest, Professor Sathyanarayana N. Gummadi, Dean of Students, IIT Madras, commended The ARC for conceiving a thoughtful symposium that nurtured new conversations, collaborations, and understanding of what access means in the arts—across cultures, disciplines, and perspectives. He emphasized that IIT Madras welcomes the participation of students with diverse disabilities and encouraged them to take part in more such academic events in the future.

Professor Gummadi noted that over 200 students with disabilities are currently pursuing their education at IIT Madras, and added that Prof. V. Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras, is deeply committed to bringing more students with disabilities to the campus. He further highlighted the importance of making the IITM campus fully accessible for students with diverse needs, stressing that this effort should be carried out in consultation with The ARC and the student community.

Dr. Nachiketa Rout, Director, The National Institute for Empowerment of Persons with Multiple Disabilities (NIEPMD) and one of the convenors of the symposium, said, “Krishna playing the flute, Shiva dancing, and Ramachandra painting show that our gods are artists and the world around us is a piece of art experienced through our senses—eyes, ears, taste, smell, touch, and balance. These sensory abilities vary as part of neurodiversity. Some people have extraordinary senses, while others, also naturally diverse, may lack typical abilities to see, hear, feel, taste, or balance. Society must empower everyone to fully experience their surroundings and participate in society. This inclusion is possible by making things accessible to all.”