Organization
Samarthanam Trust for the Disabled
A Bengaluru trust established in 1997 by a blind founder, delivering holistic support — education, sports, assistive technology, livelihood, and arts — to people with visual, physical, and other disabilities across India.
About Samarthanam Trust
Samarthanam Trust for the Disabled was founded in 1997 by Mahantesh G Kivadasannavar, who is himself visually impaired. The name "Samarthanam" means "empowerment" in Kannada — a word that captures the trust's core philosophy of capability over limitation.
What They Do
Samarthanam operates one of the broadest programme portfolios of any Indian disability organisation:
- Education — residential schools and integrated education support for blind and low-vision students
- Sports — supporting para-athletes across cricket, football, athletics, and chess; Samarthanam's blind cricket team has represented India internationally
- Assistive technology — Braille production unit, screen reader training, and digital accessibility education
- Livelihood — vocational training centre and employment placement across multiple sectors
- Cultural arts — Spoorti, a performing arts programme integrating disabled and non-disabled artists
Who They Serve
Samarthanam serves children and adults with visual impairment, physical disabilities, and other disabilities across India, with a residential campus in Bengaluru and outreach in 7 states.
Community Note
Samarthanam is widely respected for being authentically disabled-led at its most senior level, with its founder actively involved in running the organisation.
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