A matchmaking app for differently-abled

Differently-abled individuals will now be able to find the perfect match for themselves, thanks to a new mobile application that is making the phenomenon of love more inclusive than ever before.
Similar to the existing dating application Tinder, 'Inclov' which started off as an offline matchmaking venture in 2014, gives individuals with special needs an opportunity to find a partner who can be compassionate and thoughtful towards their condition.
A knee injury that left one of the co-founders of 'Inclov' Shankar Srinivasan under "house arrest" for over three months, made him realise the inaccessible nature of public platforms across the country.

"My co-founder Kalyani Khona came up with the idea in July 2014 and it started off as an offline matchmaking agency where profiles were matched manually.
"Both of us were passionate about matchmaking and we thought about which community requires it the most - and this seemed like the one," Srinivasan told PTI.
Like any other application, an individual is expected to input basic details like 'Name', 'Image(s)', 'Age', preference of gender along with professional and educational details.

They are also required to mention additionally the type of disorder or disability they have, to offer users a transparent and seamless experience while making choices.

An individual is also expected to provide information about the 'Percentage of disability', 'Assistive devices', and 'level of independence'.
The inclusivity of the application goes beyond the
differently abled and allows people with disabilities to register as well.
"People with all kinds of disabilities can register - physical, intellectual(or mental), learning, health disorders and of course, people without disabilities/health disorders - since this is an inclusive app and anyone is allowed to sign up and match!" says Srinivasan.
He says adequate safety measures have been taken by the makers to avoid cyber crimes, with every new profile being reviewed, although a foolproof process to establish the accuracy of the information provided is yet to be devised.

"We currently review every profile that comes on board and curate the information with the user. We are yet to setup a thorough background check process but we are beginning with that in the next month which comes as a part of the assistive matchmaking service," says Srinivasan.
Other security measures include the privacy of an individual's personal information like phone number or e-mail IDs.
Only first names are displayed to avoid online stalking and taking screenshots on the app have been disabled to ensure "100 per cent security of the uploaded data and images".
"We have seen more and more women sign up and look for their life partners because of these features. With social spaces women feel safe coming out and meeting someone they have interacted on the app for the first time," says Srinivasan.

The application, which is "fully accessible" to people with all kinds of disabilities, including those who are visually impaired, is likely to see the addition of several new features to make it more accessible.