Kartik Sawhney

organization overview

The Global Network of Young Persons with Disabilities (GNYPWD) is committed to breaking down digital and informational barriers for young people with disabilities. GNYPWD cultivates a global environment where disabled youth can lead transformative projects, creating a significant shift towards inclusive and equitable participation in civic life. GNYPWD utilizes AI to transform inaccessible online content and civic documents into accessible formats, while also offering an inclusive platform for networking, collaboration, information discoverability, and project initiation. GNYPWD’s mission is to empower young people, equipping them to champion disability justice and influence community decisions.

Personal Bio

Kartik Sawhney is a blind advocate, technologist, and pioneer for disability rights and inclusion in education and technology.

His mission to transform perceptions of disability through achievements and leadership led him to found The Global Network of Young Persons with Disabilities (GNYPWD). As the first blind student to study science in high school in India, he successfully campaigned to offer science classes to blind students nationwide. He founded GNYPWD to enhance the disability community’s capacity to lead and advocate through a combination of technology and community initiatives.

Kartik advises on accessibility in education and technology, contributing to several high-level boards and committees. His innovative work has been recognized globally, receiving the Queen’s Young Leaders Award in 2016 and the National Award for Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities — India’s highest honor for contributions to the disability sector. He was also selected as one of the UN Young Leaders for the SDGs. He has both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in computer science from Stanford University.