Embedded Files
Dr. Suja. K. Kunnath is currently the Executive Director at the National Institute of Speech and Hearing (NISH). She is also the Director (I/C), Center for Assistive Technology and Innovation, NISH. She is the Chairman Board of Studies in Rehabilitation Sciences, Kerala University of Health Sciences. She is the Head, Department of Neurodevelopmental Sciences, NISH. She has been teaching undergraduate and postgraduate courses in Speech-Language Pathology for the last 24 years. Besides being a Professor, she is also a registered practitioner under the Rehabilitation Council of India. She was one of the members of the Expert Committee, Right of persons with Disabilities Act 2016, Department of Social Justice, Government of Kerala, India.
Professor Reena Tiwari is a Senior Fellow of the Advanced Higher Education Academy (UK) and Fellow of the Curtin Academy. Prof. Tiwari is the former Head of Department Architecture and Interior Architecture, has been the Director of International Cooperation Research Cluster at Curtin University and an executive committee member for Urban Development Institute of Australia, Urban Design Institute of Australia and the Society of Architectural Historians, Australia and New Zealand. Reena has been a Visiting Professor and Scholar at University of California, Berkeley. She also teaches at University of Catalunya, Barcelona in their Masters Program on Regenerating Urban Landscapes. She has a continuing involvement in the International Cooperation Program which is run by the European Union under the prestigious Erasmus Mundus umbrella and supported by UNESCO and UN Habitat.
As a scholar in space psychology, heritage and place-making, she has explored the intersections of VR/AR with these fields. She has undertaken digital cultural preservation work and has led the development of MissionsConnect which is the first immersive technological tool of its kind in Australia effective for education, truth-telling, social inclusion and reconciliation.
Dr. Anirban Adhya is an Associate Professor of Architecture and Urban Design at Lawrence Technological University. His work connects, and extends, domains of urban ecology, spatial typology, and everyday urbanism, with critical positions on human-nature interaction, ecological well-being, and social ethics. As an urban design expert, he has served locally consulting groups and communities in Buffalo NY, Warren MI and Seattle WA. As a winner of the Fulbright Specialist award (2019-2024), he has shared his knowledge globally working with institutions in Costa Rica, India, and Italy.
His recent book, Urban Design Made by Humans, is an exploration of urban design first principles as foundational human actions. His previous book, Shrinking Cities and First Suburbs: The Case of Detroit and Warren, Michigan, captures his interest in the evolving dynamics of the Detroit Metropolitan Area. Anirban’s design work has been recognized in Memorials of the Future Competition and Exhibition and in the Queen City in the 21st Century: Buffalo Comprehensive Plan.
He holds a PhD in Architecture from the University of Michigan, a professional architecture degree from the University at Buffalo, and another professional architecture degree from India.
Professor Gaurav Raheja is a well-known accessibility and universal design consultant from India and a Professor of architecture at IIT Roorkee. Also, a copyright co author of Universal Design India Principles. Worked on some prestigious projects as Accessibility Consultant (under Accessible India Campaign) to Govt. of India for Prime Minister's Office, New Delhi Railway station, IGI Airport, New Delhi, Central Secretariat.
Felicitated and appointed as DAAD Research Ambassador for South Asia & India. Received DAAD and International Fellowships for Visiting Researcher/Scholar at Technical University of Darmstadt (2016), T U Berlin (2017, 2019) and University of Duisburg, Germany(2016).
Interested in Design Thinking, Social Inclusion, Universal Design, Children & Aging futures, Urban sustainability, Human Centric Design, Contemporary World Architecture, Design Pedagogy, Social & Design Research Methods, Visual Communication, Photo essays & Story Telling.
Dr. Haimanti Banerji is a Professor in the Department of Architecture and Regional Planning and the Associate Dean of Continuing Education and Outreach at IIT Kharagpur. Principal Coordinator, QIP, AICTE and the Deputy Team Leader, Centre of Excellence in Urban Planning & Design at IIT Kharagpur by MoHUA, Government of India.
She has more than 20 years of working experience with the vulnerable groups in urban Indian context. She is one of the authors of Universal Design India Principles © NID, 2011 and empanelled with the Dept. of Empowerment of Person with Disability, MSJE as Accessibility Auditor. She is actively involved in mainstreaming inclusion in the domain of urban planning and development along with UN-Habitat and NIUA. Dr. Banerji is also engaged in the Global Housing Technology Challenge (GHTC), an initiative by Govt. of India to provide ‘Housing for All’ in various capacities. Her recent international academic collaborations include Indiana University of Pennsylvania and MIT, USA and Hokkaido University.
Deepa Palaniappan is a Disability Inclusive Development professional, working as Consultant with the Office of Disability Inclusion and Reasonable Accommodations at Azim Premji University, and currently serving as a Distinguished Fellow at Kalam Institute of Health Technology , WHO Collaboration Centre under Ministry of Biotechnology, since June 2024.
She served as consultant for the World Health Organization, HQ Disability Unit at Geneva (two consecutive assignments), as well as for World Bank for TN RIGHTS project with Government of Tamilnadu. During my tenure with WHO HQ Disability unit. She was part of the team that developed the Global Report on Health Equity for Persons with Disabilities (2022).
During her tenure as State Disability consultant for Rural livelihood mission programme in Bihar she developed the Disability Inclusion Guideline, implemented since 2020.
Dr. Anjlee Agarwal is a highly accomplished universal accessibility and inclusive mobility specialist with over 33 years of experience, co-founding Samarthyam in 1991 to champion inclusivity across India. Her profound expertise spans accessibility, mobility, and WASH, establishing her as a leading authority.
Beyond her practical work, she is a respected researcher and author who actively drives accessibility and mobility solutions while advocating for equity and inclusion. Promoting sustainable and liveable societies is the mission. Her influence extends to bridging the national policies implementation gaps through her membership in the NITI Aayog, CSO Standing Committee.
Dr. Agarwal’s impactful contributions have earned her numerous accolades, including a National Award and recognition from the United Nations. Her PhD research on accessibility as a human right; she combines a strong academic grounding with practical application, notably focusing on empowering women with disabilities and conducting extensive training, solidifying her role as a Transformative Leader in creating an Accessible India.
Page updated
Google Sites
Report abuse