NGO VOSAP launches mobile app to locate disabled friendly buildings in India

Accessibility

Voice of Specially Abled People (VOSAP), an NGO based in the United States, has some good news for India. It has launched an app that will help locate and identify buildings that are disabled-friendly in India.

At the United Nations Conference of State Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, COSP12 NGO VOSAP, which stands for Voice of Specially Abled People announced that it plans to launch a public utility mobile app that will help locate disabled-friendly buildings in India.

This is critical in a country like India where accessibility remains a major barrier to the disabled community stepping out of their homes. At the UN conference, representatives got to hear the details of the app and how it could act as a game changer in the lives of people of disabilities.

A Voice of SAP’s flagship initiative, the VOSAP mobile app is now becoming the leading ‘public utility app’ for finding accessible places as well as empowering activism to create a demand for accessibility, – Manushri Desai and Shivam Saran, Team VOSAP

The VOSAP team says that the mobile app will serve as a platform that brings together leaders and volunteers. The aim is to build a database of accessible friendly buildings all over India.

“By inspiring actionable advocacy through technology, Voice of SAP has urged the Government of India to accept our initiative of Accessible India Campaign which was then launched nationwide by Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” the team said.

VOSAP has 8,000 plus registered volunteers across the world. There are plans to expand the concept to other countries as well.

Pranav Desai, Founder, VOSAP, said the volunteers are committed to becoming disability rights activists in their communities. “VOSAP Has enabled individuals with assistive devices and kits for self-employment to promote the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals,” he said, adding that India was the first focus country for VOSAP and there are plans to roll out a similar accessibility and advocacy network to other nations.

VOSAP is bringing about change by working with academic institutions to create awareness among students about their individual responsibility to enable and empower people with disabilities. “By building a network of activists, we can ignite mass awareness campaigns and reinforce the reality that disability is everybody’s concern,” said Manushri and Shivam.