Dr. T.V. Raman, a distinguished researcher at Google Research is considered as the “God of Digital Accessibility”. He is the main architect who divided the human history before 2009 and after 2009 with the revolution of Android Accessibility, which enabled the 9-month only child to 99-year-old grandma to use a phone without the knowledge of Alphabet. Now smartphones have created a divide in the world between those who know smartphones and those who do not know. He brought the digital revolution to UI (User Interphase) rather than the device monopoly. His famous innovations after he started researching in Google are Smart Search, creating a system architect of full accessibility in Google and Apps at the Google Stores, Google Translate, Google Lens, Google Lookout, Android after Google Takeover, Talkback etc. He is the inventor of speech engines, that change the world for the blind.
V. Raman (born 4 May 1965) is a computer scientist who specializes in accessibility research. His research interests are primarily in the areas of auditory user interfaces and structured electronic documents. He has worked on speech interaction and markup technologies in the context of the World Wide Web at Digital’s Cambridge Research Lab (CRL), Adobe Systems and IBM Research. He currently works at Google Research. Raman has himself been partially sighted since birth, and blind since the age of 14.
He is now guiding Ram Parivar of Chakshumathi to design Champions from the community for Children with Special Needs and the master mind behind Eyes Free Science Movement.
Prof. Damodaran is a world-renowned Energy Scientist and noted as an Institution Builder for his work as the: Premier Director of the Kerala State Department of Science, Technology and Environment Council of the State of Kerala (1987-95); Creator of ANERT; Controller, Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology (1995-96); Founder-Director of the Energy Management Centre-Kerala and Ex-officio Secretary to Govt. in the Power Department of Government of Kerala (1996-2001); Vice Chairman of EMC (2007-11) and Asst. Director Head of Technical Sciences of the State Institute of Languages, Kerala (1973-74), in addition to being the Regional Electrical Inspector (Southern Region) to Govt. (1974-79).
He started his career as a lecturer at the College of Engineering, Guindy, Chennai, and a professor at the NIT – the erstwhile Regional Engineering College – Calicut. He has led 16 research projects with distinction.
He is a well-known science writer, authored more than 20 books, and several articles, and been President of the Kerala Science Writers’ Forum (KSSP) from 1978 to 80. He has also used print and electronic media like Journals, a regular presenter in the All India Radio and various TV Channels for nearly 50 years. In addition to being the Editorial Advisor to the Asian Science Communicators’ Organization (ASCO) from 1981-87, he also edited IEEE magazine. He is a distinguished “Life Senior Member” member of IEEE and the recipient of Global Meritorious Achievement Awards for his innovations and contributions in the areas of Energy, Science and Technology and Education.
Prof. V. K. Damodaran is also the President of Vakkom Moulavi Foundation Trust and also the Chairman of the Centre for Environment and Development, a national Non-Profit Research and Training Centre.
He had held the position as the Managing Director of the United Nations-sponsored International Network on Small Hydropower in Hangzhou, China from 2001 to ’05 and is still a consultant for various global energy projects for the United Nations.
Ram Kamal is an internationally reputed journalist with a keen eye to Social Engineering. He formally worked around the world with many reputed English newspapers and news agencies as a journalist and photojournalist. Since 1997, he shifted his focus to Branding and Public Relations and became the brand father of Qatar Airways and later the events and branding consultant of the Federation of International Football Association (FIFA), Dubai Shopping Festival, and many international sporting events.
Since 2010 he dedicated his life to accessibility and social engineering technologies for Children with Special Needs and became a mastermind for many of the present-day assistive technologies. He and legendary energy scientist Prof. V.K. Damodaran with the guidance and Patronship of Dr. T. V. Raman, of Google, the father of digital accessibility started Chakshumathi (Intuitive mind), an Assistive Technology Research Centre. Now Chakshumathi serves Students with Special needs in 11 countries and 22 States of India through a wide area network of young engineering students from IEEE. Chakshumathi coordinates with Google and Microsoft development teams to make popular reading, writing, and learning tools accessible.
Ram Kamal is the inventor of a new “Digitally Accessible Pedagogy”, which enables children with special needs to become inclusive and go mainstream for quality education and peer group learning.
He is now officiating as the Principal Advisor of Samagra Shiksha Andhra Pradesh under SALT, a World Bank project, and the Ministry of Education, Government of Andhra Pradesh.
Dr. Pradeep Jeothi is the managing director of Vasudeva Vilasam Arya Vaidhyasala . He had an illustrating career at the Indian Space Research Organisation as an engineer, before he took over the family medical services as a full-time service.
Vasudeva Vilasam is one of the oldest and the most traditional Ayurvedic houses in Kerala. It was established as the Vaidyasala in 1884 by Shri N Vasudevan Unni, the Kottaram Vaidyan (Palace Psysician) of the erstwhile ruler of Travancore His Highness Sree Moolam Thirunal Maharaja.