Urban planning key to realising rights for persons with disabilities. Learn from Karnataka

Akhileshwari Reddy is a Senior Resident Fellow at Vidhi, Karnataka. Her work focuses on the protection of human rights and environment. At Vidhi she has worked on various projects including those on solid waste management, waste picker welfare, urban ground water management and human-wildlife conflict in India. She graduated with a B.A., L.LB (Hons.) degree from the West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences (WBNUJS, Kolkata) in 2016. In 2017, she completed her Masters in Human Rights Law at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) on the Marchant Foundation Scholarship and the LSE Master’s Award. Her articles on human rights issues in India have been published by various Journals. She also regularly contributes to the Deccan Herald, The Wire and Down to Earth. She is an avid reader and especially enjoys reading fantasy fiction.

Damini is Team Lead for Disability (Inclusion & Access). She primarily handles engaged/commissioned projects from various ministries, statutory authorities and regulators, where she provides legal research and drafting support at various stages of law-making. Damini works on a variety of legal and regulatory matters and allied issues in public policy. Prior to joining Vidhi, Damini worked at Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co and thereafter at Tuli & Co where she focused extensively on insurance regulatory advisory (non-contentious) work, product development and general corporate matters. She has also undertaken policy work and advised on several other regulatory issues arising under the foreign contribution laws, labeling rules of packaged commodities, and law governing drugs and cosmetics in India. She has also worked as a legal consultant to the Central Information Commission and advised on various issues arising under the Right to Information Act, 2005. Damini graduated from the National University of Juridical Sciences, Kolkata (NUJS) in 2008 with a B.A., LL.B. (Hons.) and obtained her LL.M. degree in regulatory laws and policy from the University of Pennsylvania Law School in 2013.

Namratha is a Research Fellow at Vidhi, Karnataka. She graduated with a B.A., LL.B (Hons.) degree from NALSAR University of Law in 2020. She was previously a part of the LAMP Fellowship cohort of 2020-21. Her research interests include Intellectual Property and access to medicines, healthcare, and urban governance. Her other interests include quizzing, photography, and creative writing.

Riddhi is an Associate Fellow, Vidhi Karnataka and a guest writer. She reports and researches on the intersections of disability and public health, most recently having published a series on Covid-19 and severe mental illness with IndiaSpend.

Sneha was a Senior Resident Fellow at Vidhi, Karnataka working on Urban Development and Municipal Governance. She is interested in feminist urbanism, local governance and socio-legal research. She is a 2015 law graduate from ILS Law College, Pune and subsequently, pursued a postgraduate diploma in liberal studies from Ashoka University. She has previously worked at the Chairman’s office, Quality Council of India on multiple projects with the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas and Ministry of Railways. Prior to joining Vidhi, she worked at the Hyderabad Urban Lab, researching legal and policy aspects of conservation of urban heritage in the city.