Anindya Bhattacharyya

Anindya Bapin Bhattacharyya (born 3 July 1970) is an Indian American technology instructor for the deafblind. He coordinates the National Outreach Technology Development and Training Program at the Helen Keller National Center for DeafBlind Youths and Adults, traveling the country teaching deafblind people to use adaptive technology. Deaf from birth and blind at the age of nine, Bhattacharyya has been an advocate for deafblind individuals in the United States and beyond.

Early life and education

Anindya Bapin Bhattacharyya was born on 3 July 1970 in Telari, a small village in the state of Bihar, in eastern India. Bhattacharyya grew up speaking Bengali and learned to lipread. He moved to the U.S. at age thirteen, in 1983, accompanied by his father. He attended Belmont Hill School part time while living at Perkins, graduating in 1992. Bhattacharyya graduated from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock in 1998 with a bachelor's degree in political science.

Shortly after moving to New York to start his career in 1999, he was featured in The New York Times for finishing the Seacrest-Tobay Triathlon.

Work in adaptive technology

Bhattacharyya began working at the Helen Keller National Center for Deaf-Blind Youths and Adults in 1999. In his role as Coordinator of the National Outreach Technology Development and Training Program, he travels the U.S. helping deafblind people connect with adaptive technology. He also contributes to research and development of new technologies for disabled people. A 2006 CBS News article featured his contributions to developing a Braille modified laptop phone, a tactile talking tablet, and a screen Braille communicator.

Bhattacharyya presents at conferences and writes frequently about his life and work, as when he wrote a 2005 New York Times article describing how he relies on his guide dog, technology, and assistance from others while traveling. He met his wife, Sook Hee Choi, when they both served on the board of the American Association for the DeafBlind.