Empowering Dreams: Scholarships for Visually Impaired Students

India, often referred to as the "blind capital of the world”, is home to more than 8 million visually impaired individuals - nearly 20% of the world’s blind population. India also has the highest number of blind children globally, yet fewer than 1 in 10 have access to formal education. 

While technological advances have transformed the lives of thousands, millions of visually impaired students remain excluded from education and employment, not due to lack of ambition or ability, but because of poverty and inaccessibility. 

Despite these barriers, many visually impaired students are achieving the extraordinary. They crack competitive entrance exams and earn coveted spots in prestigious institutions like IIMs, IITs, IISc, FMS, and TISS - places many sighted students dream of.

Yet, the real challenge begins after admission. 

The cost of access (including tuition, hostel fees, mess charges, assistive devices, and digital resources) often exceeds the family’s annual income. For countless talented visually impaired students, financial hardship becomes the reason they’re forced to give up their academic aspirations. 

To make matters worse, core learning materials are still largely unavailable in accessible formats. Without the necessary devices or adapted textbooks, these students are left struggling - excluded from the very classrooms they worked so hard to enter.

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What We’re Doing: A 360° Empowerment Model

We’re addressing every layer of inequality these students face - financial, technological, and academic.

Educational Scholarships

In collaboration with Saksham India, we are proud to launch the first-of-its-kind scholarship initiative for the underprivileged and visually impaired students in India. We sponsor up to ₹2 lakh per year per student for tuition, hostel, and mess fees, removing the most immediate obstacle to higher education. The scholarship is primarily funded by our youth through the Music4Cause initiative, where music lessons are offered and 100% of the proceeds are donated to support the scholarship.

Pay-It-Forward Model

Students who receive the scholarship commit to sponsoring one more visually impaired student once they graduate and begin earning. This creates a self-sustaining ecosystem of opportunity and empowerment.

Collaborative Backbone

We partner with visionary organizations like Saksham and prominent advocates for the visually impaired to ensure transparency, operational efficiency, and strong mentorship support. 

Assistive Technology Devices

Specially configured laptops and tablets, equipped with:

• Screen readers and refreshable Braille support

• Voice recognition and magnification tools

• Accessible navigation platforms

These devices are customized to each student’s unique needs and institution requirements.

Accessible Digital Textbooks

Through our volunteer-led efforts, we convert school, college, and competitive exam textbooks into accessible formats such as E-PUB3 (DAISY-compliant)

Progress So Far

• We received 3 applications and approved 2 scholarships (IIM Trichy and IIT Mumbai), and the 3rd one is under review.

• 400+ Laptops and assistive tools provided across multiple states in India

• 140,000+ textbook pages converted into accessible formats

These numbers represent real lives changed - students who are now one step closer to achieving their dreams.

 How You Can Help

Sponsoring a student

·     Full-year - ₹2 lakh (~$2,400 USD)

·       Semester - ₹1 lakh (~$1,200 USD)

Sponsoring a device

·      Laptop ($500)

·       Tablet ($200)

·       Smartphone with Bluetooth keyboard ($110)

Volunteering

Help us convert textbooks into accessible formats, organize outreach events, or support social media advocacy.

Spreading the Word

Know someone who might want to help? Share this initiative with your networks. Awareness is the first step to action.

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