In a move to make public spaces disabled-friendly, the Kerala Development and Innovation Strategic Council or K-DISC launched the STRIDE Maker Studio at a library in Kottayam. The STRIDE (Social Technology and Research for Inclusive Design Excellence) is an initiative of the K-DISC to create low-cost innovative hubs that use technology to bring greater independence to people with disabilities.
The studio at Valakkayam, Kottayam was inaugurated in the Sarvodaya Library last week, by Minister for Water Resources Roshy Augustine, marking the first of its kind library-based inclusive innovation hub. The library is equipped with devices that will aid blind users.
On the inaugural day, Braille learning devices were distributed to students from the Kalakettu Assisi School of the Blind.
Minister Roshy Augustine said that the STRIDE Maker Studio was a step towards making Kerala a global inclusive innovation hub. The project will create a specialised ecosystem for children with disabilities, providing them with tools to navigate daily life independently, he said.
“By integrating this production center into a library – a space traditionally dedicated to public education – the initiative aims to foster a profound social shift that ensures no one is left behind in the digital age,” the Minister added.
Executive Director of the Social Enterprises and Inclusion Division at K-DISC, Robin Tommy, noted that the initiative would bring technology to the community level.
The project is the result of a collaboration between K-DISC, St. Ephrem’s Community, and Amal Jyothi College of Engineering, Kanjirappally. The idea is to take it to more than a thousand libraries across the state.