Nilesh Singit

Holding a Master’s in English, a Diploma in Human Rights, and a Certified Internet Professional credential, he brings together academic insight and field experience to advance the effective realisation of rights for persons with disabilities. His approach is grounded in critical analysis, legal precision, and problem-solving informed by practical realities rather than theory alone.

As Distinguished Research Fellow at the Centre for Disability Studies (CDS), NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad, Nilesh has contributed to evidence-based frameworks for accessibility governance. He was part of the core team that authored Finding Sizes for All (FSA)—a comprehensive national report commissioned by the Supreme Court of India under its continuing supervision on accessibility. Submitted in 2024, the report established baseline evidence on accessibility compliance and continues to inform judicial monitoring and policy directives.

Legal and Advocacy Work

Nilesh is the lead petitioner in Nilesh Singit v. Union of India, Writ Petition (Civil) No. 228 of 2006, a continuing Public Interest Litigation before the Supreme Court of India addressing accessibility, inclusion, and the enforcement of obligations under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016.

He has also contributed substantively to Rajive Raturi v. Union of India (W.P. Civil No. 243 of 2005), where the Finding Sizes for All report was placed on record and became central to the Court’s observations on systemic accessibility reform. His dual role—as petitioner and researcher—illustrates his long-standing engagement with the intersection of legal process, public accountability, and institutional reform.

Areas of Expertise

• Accessibility Audits and Design: Technical evaluation, universal design integration, and compliance with accessibility standards.

• Policy and Law Reform: Institutional support in drafting and implementing accessibility frameworks under the RPwD Act, 2016 and the UNCRPD.

• Research and Documentation: Leadership of national research initiatives shaping judicial, policy, and governance outcomes.

• Training and Discourse: Engagement with professional and academic forums to advance evidence-led understanding of inclusion and access.

Leadership and Engagements

• State Icon, Maharashtra Election Commission – supporting the institutionalisation of accessible voting systems.

• Member, Supreme Court Committee on Accessibility – contributing to national standards for judicial and digital accessibility.

• Founder, Nilesh Singit Consultancy Services (NSCS) – providing strategic, legal, and design advisory services in accessibility and inclusion.

• Distinguished Research Fellow, CDS, NALSAR University of Law – leading collaborative projects in disability law and policy at the national and international levels.

Speaking and Engagements

Nilesh is engaged with academic, judicial, and policy communities in advancing discourse on accessibility and inclusion. He accepts speaking invitations —particularly where engagement contributes to institutional learning, evidence-based reform, or innovation in design and governance. His lectures and interventions draw on over two decades of sustained field experience and research-based inquiry.

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Commitment to Accessible and Open Technologies

An advocate of open standards and inclusive technologies, Nilesh supports the development of digital systems that reduce barriers to participation. His work promotes free, accessible, and interoperable solutions that align with the broader goals of inclusion and public accountability.

Beyond Work

Beyond his professional engagements, Nilesh draws on cinema and storytelling as spaces for reflection on empathy, transformation, and social change. His enduring concern is with building a civic culture where accessibility is embedded in governance, not appended as accommodation.