Dr. Sam Taraporevala

A light blue gradient background with navy blue text has “The D-30 Disability Impact List” at the top centered above “2025 Honoree” which is in between two laurels. Below, text “Dr. Sam Taraporevala (he/him), India” are to the left of a picture of them, which fills the right. At the bottom left corner is text “Diversability, #D30DisList”.

Dr. Sam Taraporevala

He/him/his

Founder and Executive Director, XRCVC

India

Dr. Sam Taraporevala is a pioneering disability rights leader, researcher, and award-winning advocate for inclusion in India. As Executive Director of the Xavier’s Resource Centre for the Visually Challenged (XRCVC), he has transformed the organization into a national center of excellence for inclusive education, assistive technology, and policy advocacy. Since June 2024, the XRCVC has reached over 6,000 disabled people and stakeholders under his leadership. Sam’s impact includes leading the amendment to India’s Copyright Act in 2012, developing accessible ATMs (30,000+ deployed), and driving systemic change in financial access and inclusive STEM education. In 2024, the Government of India honored the XRCVC of which he is the Executive Director with the National Award for Inclusive Education. His strategic research and policy engagement have shaped national reform efforts, ensuring disabled people’s full participation in society.