Televeda
When Mac failed to appear for his regular online painting session, his fellow seniors grew concerned. They took it upon themselves to investigate and discovered that the solitary elder had been hospitalized due to an accident. Upon his return weeks later, he was warmly welcomed back by his new community.
“He felt acknowledged, as though there were people eager for his return,” reflects Shruti Gurudanti, co-founder of the online socialization platform Televëda, regarding Mac (his real name kept confidential for privacy reasons).
The primary motivation behind Gurudanti’s platform was to offer seniors a communal space, fostering connections among those facing isolation through activities such as yoga, art, and bingo. The mission resonates personally with her; as a child, she observed her grandparents’ increasing loneliness while dealing with her grandfather’s Alzheimer’s disease.
Connection as a Lifeline
In 2018, Gurudanti collaborated with her husband, Mayank Mishra, a software engineer, to build the technology behind Televëda, furthering the familial bonds that motivated its creation.
The software was critical in connecting seniors, although it initially benefited only those with access to technology. In 2019, to bridge this gap, Televëda initiated door-to-door services, offering seniors affordable electronic devices, Wi-Fi, and the necessary training to use them.
“If you’re fortunate, you will grow old—and I wanted to create something to assist a generation likely to face loneliness,” Gurudanti clarifies.
In a bid to tackle the widespread loneliness epidemic, Televëda has extended its services to assist Indigenous communities and minority veterans.
For these populations, the organization facilitates peer support groups and digital connection initiatives to enhance accessibility to social and mental health resources. This support equips veterans with the ability to locate necessary resources online—a crucial aid for those seeking help.
“For veterans, our mission remains focused on reducing isolation and loneliness, with particular emphasis on suicide prevention,” states Gurudanti. “We understand that connectivity to the Veteran’s Association significantly lowers suicide rates and improves overall health outcomes.”
Though Gurudanti’s project was born from a desire to assist seniors, it is the urgent issue of loneliness that propels the organization forward. “What drives us is awareness of the vast number of individuals we can still assist.”
Benetech
At the age of 13, Chloe Deutsch lost her ability to read. Focusing on text triggered debilitating vertigo and nausea—a consequence of her sudden Lyme disease diagnosis. While there was no immediate solution for her condition, an innovative assisted-reading platform from the nonprofit tech organization Benetech soon became a remedy for her lost passion.
“For the first time since my diagnosis, I felt a renewed sense of control, with the liberty to learn and rediscover the world through literature,” Deutsch shares regarding her experience with Bookshare, an e-book library catering to individuals with accessibility challenges. “Empowered by the independence of reading, I did not want to depend on my parents or teachers.”
Bookshare houses over 1.3 million titles, all compatible with text-to-speech technology or refreshable braille devices. This library supports Benetech’s mission of utilizing software to foster inclusive and equitable education.
“By eliminating barriers to content, we enable all individuals—regardless of differences or age—to read,” asserts Benetech CEO Ayan Kishore. “This is crucial for their well-being, fulfillment, and career prospects.”
“Consider the challenges a student faces when they’re trying to learn while their peers have immediate access to materials, and they do not receive essential reading for weeks. This delay can severely hinder their ability to keep up and succeed,” Kishore explains.
To accelerate access, Benetech collaborates with more than 1,000 publishers to produce books designed with accessibility in mind.
Addressing Intersectionality and Inequities
The limited availability of accessible resources remains a widespread problem, particularly for those facing the intersections of disability, race, and poverty. This lack of support can exacerbate inequitable outcomes such as the school-to-prison pipeline; a study from the University of Pennsylvania revealed that 66% of incarcerated individuals self-reported a disability, compared to 26% of the total US population.
“This indicates that we failed these individuals earlier in their lives and in education,” states Kishore.
To address these disparities, Benetech provides free access to Bookshare for students with disabilities through funding from individual contributions, organizations, corporations, and the Department of Education.
Paying It Forward
In her current role in higher education, Deutsch now advocates for students with disabilities, just as Benetech once did for her. “Thank you for pioneering innovations that enable young individuals to flourish in spaces that have historically been inaccessible,” she expresses in a letter to Benetech’s supporters.
This article originally appeared in the March-April 2025 issue of up7op magazine (U.S. edition).
