Our Story

It all starts with a story… Our founder, Dr Ananthalakshmi (AL), grew up knowing she had a macular degenerative eye condition, which meant she would eventually lose her eyesight. Refused science admission in her under-graduate studies due her visual impairment, she went on to pursue her bachelors in arts and subsequently masters in business administration. Overcome with fear at the thought of life coming to a grinding halt once blindness set in, she began hiding her condition.

However years in corporate life in leadership roles in top global companies like Honeywell, Philips and Fidelity Investments  helped her realize that blindness was not a villain but a source of strength. After spending over two decades in industry, her quest to find answers for the sorry state of affairs of blind in India, led her to   pursue PhD at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai. Her research focussed on blind achievers and exploring what blindness truly meant, as well as how blind achievers transitioned the barriers to their growth.

With the newfound perspective on blindness and blind achievers, she set out to start a movement that could transform the lives of blind in India. The movement later metamorphosised into a non-profit organisation, Equibeing Foundation, a Trust formed by her with Durga S., a chartered accountant and a classmate of AL. Subsequently Indumathi Sreenivasan, a former civil servant and former Financial Controller of IISc, Bangalore also joined the journey as a co-Trustee.

Mission

To break barriers, unlock possibilities and create pathways for mainstream inclusion of the blind and visually impaired — through education, sports & wellbeing and skill development & livelihood, while transforming societal mindsets and driving systemic change.

Vision

A world where blindness is not a barrier and persons with visual impairment thrive with dignity, confidence, and independence.