“Accessibility should be a habit, not a virtue. And more importantly, we need to move from a space of sympathy to a space of empathy.” - Siddhant Shah

In this episode of Work in Progress, we speak with Siddhant Shah, an Indian Heritage Architect who specializes in designing spaces that are inclusive. Siddhant is a Stavros Niarchos Scholar and completed his Master's in Heritage Management in Greece from the University of Kent.

His journey began at home when he realized the difficulties his partially-sighted mother faced when trying to visit museums and public art venues. Siddhant also won a UNESCO and Archaeological Survey of India competition to make heritage sites in India disabled-friendly. These experiences motivated him to work towards making cultural sites more accessible for people with various disabilities and later, he was also diagnosed with tunnel vision.

After absorbing the wisdom of other countries through his study and travels, Siddhant came back to India and founded Access for All, a consultancy firm based in Mumbai that focuses on design-based solutions for Indian cultural destinations and monuments, rethinking accessibility and inclusion practices for all visitors. Siddhant has worked on several projects, including making Jaipur's City Palace more accessible. His work includes developing tactile replicas, audio descriptions, and other assistive technologies to make cultural sites more accessible to people with disabilities. He has also served as a Resource Consultant for the National Museum under the Ministry of Culture, Government of India, and continues to work with different art galleries, museums, schools, and spaces in India and abroad.

Tune in to listen and learn more about from Siddhant's efforts to transform India's cultural landscape.

Guest Bio and Links:

‘Access for ALL’ aims at pushing the boundaries of physical, intellectual and social access through innovative, indigenous design and advocacy while fostering an inclusive experiential culture. The team focuses on access audits, interpretation & educational activities, inclusive outreach programs, sensitization & awareness program, braille-tactile kits, braille books and CSR based engagement programs.

Team ALL works in collaboration and partnership with museums (National Museum, MSMS II Museum), historical sites (Jantar Mantar, City Palace Jaipur), monuments, foundations, art galleries (DAG Modern), private art collectors, art fairs and other cultural organizations.

Siddhant Shah is a Heritage Architect and Access Consultant who specialises in bridging the gap between Cultural Heritage and Disability, through his initiative #AccessforALL. Shah, a Stavros Niarchos Scholar has finished his MA in Heritage Management from the University of Kent (Athens Campus, Greece) and his bachelors in Architecture (BSSA-NMIMS, India) along with a Post graduate Diploma in Indian Aesthetics.