Program Overview

The Inclusive Education, Legal Access & Mentoring Program for Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) at Samavesh addresses one of the most critical yet overlooked barriers to inclusion—the lack of legal identity, access to entitlements, and sustained mentorship.

Operating at the intersection of legal access, education, and livelihoods, the program enables persons with disabilities,especially from marginalized communities—to move from invisibility to inclusion.

Through a structured, end-to-end support model, Samavesh ensures that individuals are able to:

  • Obtain UDID cards and essential legal documentation

  • Access government scholarships and social protection schemes

  • Complete school and transition into higher education

  • Receive continuous mentoring and academic support

  • Transition into meaningful and sustainable career pathways

The program is delivered through community-based Samavesh Kendras, ensuring last-mile access, contextual support, and deep trust within underserved communities.

We work with students in rural, urban and peri-urban communities to improve school retention, promote emotional resilience, foster gender equity, and nurture young changemakers.

The Problem We Are Addressing

Despite progressive policies, a large proportion of Persons with Disabilities in India remain excluded from systems designed to support them.

Key systemic gaps include:

  • Documentation Gap:
     A significant number of PWDs do not possess a UDID (Unique Disability ID) card, which is mandatory for accessing disability benefits.

  • Layered Identity Barriers:
     Absence of supporting documents such as:

    • Caste certificates
    • Income certificates
    • Domicile and migration records
       further prevents access to entitlements.

  • Low Awareness & Navigation Challenges:
     Even when schemes exist, families lack awareness and the ability to navigate complex application processes.

  • Financial Barriers to Education:
     Students from low-income households (below ₹8 lakh annual income) struggle to afford:

    • Tuition fees
    • Accommodation
    • Assistive support

  • Lack of Mentoring & Transition Support:
     There is minimal guidance for PWD students to:

    • Prepare for entrance exams
    • Apply to universities
    • Sustain themselves in higher education ecosystems

Result:

PWD students are disproportionately pushed out of education systems, leading to long-term exclusion from employment and dignity.

Why It Matters

Children from marginalised communities often face:

Legal identity is not just documentation—it is the gateway to rights, recognition, and opportunity.

For Persons with Disabilities, access to documentation and education leads to:

  • Inclusion in welfare systems and legal protections
  • Access to fully funded scholarships and financial aid
  • Increased educational attainment and employability
  • Reduced dependency and intergenerational poverty
  • Strengthened participation in society and leadership pathways

Investing in PWD inclusion is not only a matter of equity—it is a high-impact intervention that generates long-term social and economic returns.

What We do

Our Integrated Model:

Samavesh follows a 4-stage intervention model, ensuring continuity from identification to long-term outcomes:

1. Identification & Community Outreach

  • Mapping PWD individuals through community networks and local outreach
  • Prioritizing individuals from marginalized and low-income backgrounds
  • Building trust through community-based Samavesh Kendras

2. Legal Identity & Documentation Support

We provide hands-on, end-to-end support to secure:

  • UDID Cards (Unique Disability ID)
  • Disability certificates and medical documentation
  • Caste certificates
  • Income certificates (for eligibility under ₹8 lakh criteria)
  • Domicile and migration-related documents

This stage directly addresses the “invisibility barrier” and enables entry into formal systems.

3. Access to Scholarships & Entitlements

Once documentation is in place, we support:

  • Identification of relevant government and institutional scholarships
  • End-to-end application support and follow-up
  • Access to scholarships covering:

    • 100% tuition fees
    • Accommodation and living expenses
    • Additional disability-specific benefits

4. Long-Term Mentorship & Career Readiness

  • Continuous mentorship through the Samavesh Scholars ecosystem
  • Life skills, confidence-building, and career guidance
  • Pathways toward employment, leadership, and civic participation

5. Academic Support & Higher Education Pathways

We ensure that students not only enroll but also thrive:

  • Academic guidance and retention support

  • Structured mentoring for:

    • Entrance exam preparation

    • UG and PG applications

Students are supported to access leading institutions such as:

  • Ashoka University

  • Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS)

  • Azim Premji University

  • Other state and central universities

Samavesh Saksham

Our Impact

Our model has demonstrated strong, measurable outcomes:

Enabled PWD individuals to obtain UDID cards and essential documentation at scale

Facilitated access to fully funded scholarships covering tuition and accommodation

Supported students in accessing top higher education institutions in India

Prevented school and college dropouts among high-risk students

 

Created pathways from:
 Documentation → Entitlements → Education → Higher Education → Livelihoods

Testimonials

What do our fellows say

Bhumika, from Nanded, who comes from a marginalized community and lives with a visual impairment, is one of Samavesh’s inspiring students. Through career mentoring sessions and guidance from our mentors, she prepared for Ashoka University while building a strong long-term vision for her future. Today, Bhumika has been awarded a full scholarship to pursue a four-year undergraduate program at Ashoka University.

  • Coming from Nanded with a visual impairment, I never imagined accessing higher education opportunities like Ashoka University. With Samavesh’s mentoring and support, I earned a full scholarship and now have the confidence to pursue my future.
    Bhumika

SDGs We Contribute To

Our work directly advances:

SDG 4: Quality Education

Supports first-generation learners through mentoring, scholarship navigation, and academic readiness.

SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

Empowers SC, ST, NT-DNT, OBC, PWD, and low-income communities to access entitlements and public services.

SDG 1 – No Poverty

Aims to end poverty in all its forms, everywhere

SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

Trains unemployed youth as civic entrepreneurs, creating meaningful livelihood pathways through public service.

SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

Strengthens grassroots governance through civic helpdesks, legal identity access, and public accountability.

Who We Are

Samavesh is a rights-based organisation and grassroots movement committed to inclusion, equity, and opportunity.

We work with marginalised communities to bridge the gap between policy and people, enabling access to social security, education, and livelihoods.

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