It’s not every day you hear about services built especially for people who are physically or visually impaired. In a world racing to launch the next big tech idea, two undergraduate students from Mumbai are set to introduce a new service: TravAcs (Mumbai edition), that connects visually impaired citizens with civilians who help them move around the city. Here’s more on this initiative.
TravAcs: A Step Towards Accessible Travel For Visually Impaired People
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Two undergraduate students from Mumbai are launching the Mumbai edition of TravAcs, short for Travel Accessibility, a service designed to connect visually impaired people (both citizens and tourists) with civilians who guide them around the city for a small fee.
As per a report by Mid-Day, Naman Parekh, a 20-year-old visually impaired student from Hyderabad studying at St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai, faced a problem when he wanted to travel home for the festive season. Many of his friends had already left the city, leaving him with no one to assist. Instead of relying on relatives, he teamed up with his fellow college student, Urvi Rathi, a first-year management student from Gujarat, to form this idea.
Together, they are building a resource pool of citizens for this new service: the Mumbai edition of the Delhi-based platform TravAcs, which pairs visually impaired individuals with sighted guides, called ‘TravAcsers’. In the Instagram post shared by @travacs_welfare_foundation, you can see the TravAcsers guiding their visually impaired friends in Sanjay Van, Delhi.
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The Mumbai Edition Of TravAcs To Launch Soon
According to Mid-Day, the two students are preparing to launch the Mumbai version of TravAcs. They will soon start accepting applications from citizens interested in joining as guides. Of course, there will be background checks and basic training before they decide to select the applicants. Furthermore, a formal launch of this Mumbai edition is expected early next year.
Both students have already received over 25 applications from people in their early to mid-20s. Naman shared with Mid-Day that he and his friends have explored many cafes and restaurants in South Mumbai with the help of locals, but often found themselves without assistance. This is where TravAcs would step in to help.
The app’s guides will help visually impaired users with shopping, visiting less crowded spaces, or simply exploring the city. Currently, the service operates through WhatsApp and Google Workspace. There are plans to launch an official app for iOS and Android soon.
Inspiration From Delhi’s Success
TravAcs Mumbai takes inspiration from TravAcs Delhi, which was launched in December 2024. It is run by a young team, including Prateek Kumar, a third-year student at Hindu College, Delhi University, and a friend of Naman.
The Delhi platform, managed entirely by volunteers in their 20s, already has around 100 active participants and serves people with various forms of visual impairment. The volunteers accompany visually impaired individuals on dates, shopping trips, or casual outings. According to Mid-Day, users are charged around ₹170 per session. The guides or TravAcsers are paid an average of ₹150 per hour.
The Delhi edition of TravAcs has already found success, and hopes are high for its Mumbai launch. What are your thoughts on this unique and thoughtful initiative? Share them with us in the comments!
Cover Image Courtesy: @travacs_welfare_foundation/ Instagram
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