How do you find a date on Valentine's day if you're in a wheelchair or visually impaired? Kalyani Khona, who plays cupid for people who are differently-abled tells us it just got a whole lot easier.
The 24-year-old from Gurgaon recently launched a 2.0 version of her matchmaking app, Inclov, (which stands for inclusive love) that has, since it started a year ago, inspired a whirlwind of unexpected love stories. "Like a female wheelchair bound rifle shooter who fell in love with an accountant that can't walk because of polio. They hit it off online, got hitched three months later and just celebrated her first wedding anniversary," she shares with a smile. Now with a new algorithm on the app, to facilitate stronger, more relevant matches, Kalyani adds that the likelihood of finding a partner to suit your needs is higher than ever.
The app also has also taken into consideration the needs of the visually impaired; the app offers magnified fonts and a talk back feature. As for security measures, the app does not allow users to take screenshots, and only displays the first names on the profile. Email addresses are not given out either.
With 7,000 profiles and counting, Inclov also organises offline meetups for couples across the country via its platform Social Spaces. Incidentally, the most recent one took place right here in Chennai last weekend. Tying up with disabled-friendly spaces that offer everything from Braille menus to a ramp in the bathroom, Kalyani makes it a point to emphasise that the environment needs to boost the confidence of the individual, rather than bring it down. "The last thing a guy wants is to be assisted out of his chair when he is trying to impress a girl," she points out.
Inclov is available for download on Android phones. If you want to expand your sights outside of India, Glimmer is a mainstream matchmaking app that launched last month, with a section welcoming those with disabilities.