Shilpi KAPOOR

Founder at BarrierBreak

m on a mission to change how digital accessibility is implemented at scale! With 18+ years of experience, am a serial entrepreneur who is passionate about how technology is a game-changer for people with disabilities. Proud to be recognized as one of the Top 15 Women Transforming India by Niti Aayog 2019 and as one of the Top 20 Most Powerful Women in Business in India for the year 2017 by Business Today magazine. In 1995, I was inspired by my boss who showed me that people with disabilities were no different and that technology could empower them. Went on to start the first computer training center in India for the visually impaired in Mumbai. Soon realizing, that I wanted to break out of the charitable model and prove that people with disabilities could be productive team members and that was the start of my entrepreneurial journey. In 2004, founded BarrierBreak's where we focus on delivering Web Accessibility at scale. How can technology be accessible to people with disabilities whether it is the web, mobile, documents, videos, and products? I firmly believe that Standards & Guidelines are the answer to harmonizing the digital world whether it is Section 508, CVAA, Web Content Accessibility Guideline (WCAG), Guideline for Indian Government Websites (GIGW), EN 301 549, PDF/UA, or EPUB3. BarrierBreak is a leader in Offshore accessibility testing and consulting services. As I often say Accessibility is in our DNA with approx. 70% of our team comprising of people with disabilities. In 2015, went on to solve the problem of making documents accessible with 247 Accessible Documents. The focus was to ensure we simplified document remediation and assisted organizations to make their PDF, Word, PowerPoint & Forms accessible. In 2016, founded my third startup. Newz Hook - which is a media site focusing on disability, inclusion & accessibility with a mission to change attitudes towards disability. The first of its type in India and often I think globally! I love that we are the voice of the disabled people in India sharing stories from the ground. I have been instrumental in drafting the National Policy on Electronic Accessibility & Accessibility. Standards for Persons with Disabilities in Television Programmes in India. Have been an advocate serving on with NASSCOM Disability Advisory Group, National Task Force for Electronic Accessibility, and G3ICT. Also am an Ashoka Fellow and a recipient of “NCPEDP – Shell Helen Keller Award 2008” – Non-disabled role model supporter of increased employment opportunities for people with disabilities. Year of this biography: 2023