On the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, celebrated on December 3, the topic of ‘disability inclusion’ was in the air. Several steps are being taken to ensure that people in vulnerable situations such as persons with disabilities (PwDs) do not feel ostracised in society but there is still a long road ahead. There especially exists wide disparity in employment avenues for the disabled.
A report by Unearthinsight highlights the untapped potential of the PwD workforce in India. According to the report, out of a population of 1.3 billion, India has an overall PwD talent of 3 crores, around 50 per cent of which i.e nearly 1.34 crore is employable. However, currently only 25 per cent of employable PwD talent (around 34 lakh) is employed across sectors.
It is a well-established fact that PwD workforce is more resilient and committed, today firms are more interested in investing and engaging in creating a skilled labour force which comes from diverse backgrounds.
The view is echoed by Tarini Malhotra, Founder, Nai Subah Foundation, “While we are on the journey to destigmatise disability, we still have a long way to go. We are all different and we uniquely perceive and experience the world. Autism isn’t a disorder. Neurodiversity is not a ‘disability’, it’s a different form of being. And while society is becoming more ‘accepting’, we are still not doing a good job to make inclusion authentic.”
Corporate HR teams are working on creating programs aimed at ensuring better inclusiveness for the disabled. There is better understanding of the fact that PwD workforce is resilient and committed and today corporates are more interested in investing in skilled professionals who come from diverse backgrounds.
“At Tech Mahindra, we enable equal opportunities for all TechMighties irrespective of their gender, caste, ethnicity, race, and age. We have a number of initiatives aimed at ensuring equal opportunity for differently-abled professionals or Persons with Disabilities,” says Harshvendra Soin, Global Chief People Officer and Head – Marketing, Tech Mahindra.
Manisha Dubey, Head of IDEMIA India Foundation states, “This year we joined hands with Noida Special Economic Zone Authority (NSEZ) to create inclusive infrastructure. The initiative was aimed at offering universal designs and accessibility to people, regardless of their physical ability and full understanding of what they need, to do their jobs in the best possible way,” India is sitting on a huge PwD talent pool that can play an important role with the right policy and strategy shift.
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