Ankita Okha

Advocate for disability rights and special education in India

Ankita Okha is an Indian social entrepreneur who has redefined special education through her organization Special Child Foundation. Diagnosed with cerebral palsy at age two, she overcame societal barriers to become a lawyer and establish India's first inclusive education model for children with disabilities. Her 'Mainstreaming Project' has integrated over 5,000 disabled students into regular schools since 2008 through teacher training programs and adaptive learning materials. Okha pioneered India's first braille-based coding curriculum for visually impaired students, implemented in 150 schools. Her advocacy led to landmark legal changes including the 2016 amendments to the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, mandating inclusive education policies. She also developed the 'Empowerment Index' tool used by UNICEF to measure disability inclusion in 12 states. Okha's TEDx talk "How I Found My Voice" has over 2 million views. Her work is chronicled in 《Breaking Barriers: India's Disability Revolution》.