A Universal Call to Action
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), also known as the Global Goals, are a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure that by 2030 all people enjoy peace and prosperity. At Samarthyam, we are deeply committed to making this 2030 Agenda a reality for everyone, everywhere, ensuring that persons with disabilities are at the forefront of this global mission.
Our Strategic Alignment with the Global Goals
Samarthyam’s mission directly advances the SDGs. We focus our expertise on four key goals where we can make the most significant impact:
Goal 5: Gender Equality
We work to empower women and girls with disabilities by creating accessible environments that enable their full participation in society.
Goal 11: Sustainable Cities & Communities
We partner with cities to develop an accessibility vision for buildings, streets, and neighborhoods, improving the quality of life for all citizens.
Goal 13: Climate Action
We champion disability inclusion in climate action, ensuring that resilient infrastructure and accessible early warning systems protect the most vulnerable.
Goal 17: Partnerships for the Goals
We build strategic partnerships with governments, UN agencies, and CSOs to mobilize the resources and capacity needed to achieve the SDGs.
From Global Goals to Local Action: Our Partnerships
We turn international goals into on-the-ground, tangible impact through collaboration with the world’s leading development organizations.
UNESCAP
Samarthyam’s foundation in accessibility excellence began early — the team received specialized training from the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) in 2000, strengthening its technical expertise and regional engagement in disability-inclusive environment. Building on this foundation, Samarthyam has since 2004 undertaken numerous partnership projects with ESCAP and OPDs to mainstream universal accessibility, gender-responsive planning, and sustainable mobility across India and the Asia-Pacific region.
In recognition of her leadership and expertise, Dr. Anjlee Agarwal was invited as an Accessibility Expert in June 2025 to speak on accessibility requirements aligned with the Jakarta Declaration 2023–2032, emphasizing the integration of accessibility and inclusion within the global sustainable development.
In 2021-24, Samarthyam in partnership with the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP), designed and implemented a project in Rajasthan to strengthen the capacities of OPDs, community networks, and government agencies, improving the standard of living for persons with disabilities.
A “tit-at-tat” with Dr. Anjlee Agarwal, Founder, Samarthyam
(482) ESCAP Partnerships for the SDGs: a testimonial from Samarthyam, India – YouTube
Samarthyam actively participated in the Regional Forum organized by ESCAP to commemorate the International Day of Persons with Disabilities on 3rd Dec. 2021 in Asia and the Pacific and present good practices from Governments and organisations of persons with disabilities (OPDs) for strengthening inclusive and accessible services to support and empowering persons with disabilities, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Forum will bring together stakeholders from OPDs, governments, UN agencies, and other organisations in order to:
- Highlight the leadership of persons with disabilities in OPDs in advocacy and national and local programmes.
- Deepen the understanding of the global campaign on inclusive quality police services for persons with disabilities and present initiatives from within Asia and the Pacific to enhance inclusive police services.
- Share progress made, outcomes achieved, and challenges faced in the implementation of the local initiatives on empowering persons with disabilities in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.
By bringing together diverse stakeholders from countries in the Asia-Pacific region, the Forum fostered collaboration and served as an opportunity to learn good practices and innovative approaches.
The recommendations were expected to inform priority actions related to promoting the leadership and participation of persons with disabilities within all aspects of society, and enhancing inclusive services and community initiatives.
Read more: Regional Forum on Advancing Disability-inclusive Development: Leadership and participation of person with disabilities toward an inclusive, accessible and sustainable post-COVID-19 world
World Health Organization (WHO)
In 2023, we collaborated with the WHO to conduct a Special Accessibility Audit for Children with Disabilities in 33 government schools in Delhi. This intervention has created a scalable model for making all government schools in the region accessible and inclusive.
European Union & Sightsavers
From 2018–2024, Samarthyam has led a landmark project to institutionalize SDG implementation for persons with disabilities. We build the capacity of Organizations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs) and have developed a “Disability Inclusive Score Card” as a tool for advocacy, monitoring, and accountability to achieve the Agenda 2030.
UNICEF
Since 2012, we have partnered with UNICEF across five states to ensure inclusive education for all children with disabilities. Our work includes conducting accessibility audits of schools and Anganwadis, developing training modules, and providing capacity building on home-based education.
- 2022: Capacity building and supportive supervision on accessibility audit of schools & anganwadis and home-based education, UP
- 2021: Accessibility audit in schools and Anganwadis, development of module and capacity building on home-based education of children with severe and multiple disabilities, UP
- 2021: Barrier Free and Accessible Built Environment in Schools of Gujarat
- 2019: Capacity Building Workshops for Making Schools Accessible, Rayagada, Odisha
- 2018: Capacity Building Workshops for Making Schools Accessible, Odisha, Assam, UP, Gujarat and Tamil Nadu
- 2017: Capacity Building Workshop for Making Schools Accessible, Pan Odisha
- 2014: Development of Guidelines on Barrier Free and Accessible Built Environment in Schools