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It was lovely to be joined by Ar. Kavya Poornima Balajepalli for this session, who shared her work as an architect, researcher, and universal accessibility advocate from Visakhapatnam (India), and the founder of Poornamidam and IIH Warriors India. This work brings together architecture, disability inclusion and climate action, through data-driven and evidence-based research, advocacy, campaigns and in lived experience.

Kavya Poornima has contributed to policy and practice across tourism, gender and disability-inclusive urban development, and climate-responsive systems. Her work includes initiatives such as the Charter of Demands: A Call to Action for Disability Justice, accessibility audits of public and sports infrastructure, and advocacy for embedding universal design within architectural education and climate action. She has also co-authored Climate Resilient and Accessible Architecture for the Harvard Law School Project on Disability. Her work has been presented across regional, national, and international platforms, including G20 India and UN forums.

Kavya Poornima continues to work towards enabling systemic change through universally accessible design, inclusive curricula, patient advocacy, and the amplification of invisible disabilities. She is a recipient of the 15th NCPEDP-Mphasis Universal Design Award 2024 and has been honoured and felicitated by various institutions and organisations for her contributions to accessibility and inclusion.

To connect with Kavya Poornima and explore her work further, visit Poornamidam and IIH Warriors India.