Seventeen-year-old Aahan Ritesh Prajapati has turned a personal challenge into an innovation that is winning global recognition.Born with red and green colour blindness, the Adani International School student has developed a machine-learning model that modifies textbook diagrams and maps to make them accessible for colour-blind learners—with an accuracy of 99.7%.Aahan’s journey began in childhood, when he struggled with lab experiments and art classes.
Diagnosed in Grade Four, he realised many other students might also face the same issue without knowing it. His first initiative, Aiding Colours, took him to more than 30 schools, where nearly 120 children were found to be colour blind.With strong encouragement from his school, Aahan expanded his work, setting up camps with classmates and testing hundreds of students. His innovation recently earned him the prestigious Crest Gold Award (UK) and has been showcased at global academic platforms.“Adani International School supported me a lot and gave me the platform to continue my work,” he said, crediting Promoter Namrata Adani for her encouragement.
Beyond his AI model, Aahan has created bilingual awareness leaflets, inclusive stationery, and teacher guides to foster empathy in classrooms. His mission has already reached over 10,000 students across Gujarat, with many discovering their condition for the first time.
Looking ahead, Aahan hopes to scale his project across India, push for policy changes to introduce mandatory screening in schools, and advocate for accessible textbooks. “If even one child can understand better because of my work, I consider it a success,” he said.