Ability 2013 opens jobs avenues for disabled

32 disabled candidates were shortlisted on the spot by various companies which participated in the ABILITY 2013: "Opening New Doors Towards Inclusive Employment of Persons with Disability" , a job fair organised jointly by Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) NR and National Institute for Technical Teachers' Training and Research (NITTR) at NITTR, Sector 26, Chandigarh.

It was specifically organised to open new doors of employment for the disabled (differently abled) candidiates and help them earn a livelihood.


Around 50 differently abled candidates participated in the drive, out of which 65 % were orthopaedically handicapped including polio inflicted, 10 % were hearing impaired and 25 % were visually challenged.
The participating candidates appreciated the industry's response and felt encouraged, as they got an opportunity to meet and interact with the corporates as part of this recruitment
drive.

The positions for which they were interviewed included - Mechanical Engineer, Customer Care Executive, Fitters, Electricians, Refrigerator Mechanics, Packers, Assembly Operators, Front / Back end desk executives, Administratve jobs, Data Entry operators, Office Assistants, Supervisiors - Production, Telephone operators etc.

The 9 CII member companies which participated in this special placement drive. We must adopt preventive measures on pregnant women to help children fight the disabilities in the mother's womb itself" pointed Vini Mahajan, Principal Secretary, (Health & Family Welfare), Government of Punjab.

J S Saini, Professor and Head of Rural Development Department & Centre for Physically Challenged Persons, NITTTR shared that "Ability job fairs have been able to provide jobs to 155 for differently abled persons till now, which started in 2010. Ability 2013 is the 7th edition. In India, there are approximately 265 lakhs PWDs, out of which 20 % do not reach adult hood and same % do not reach 4th decade of their lives. The sad irony is that a vast majority, i.e 75 % of PWDs live in rural India where as 95 % of NGOs restrict their work in urban areas. I appeal to NGOs to operate from rural areas as well".



Source : TOI , Chandigarh ( 25th Feb 2013 )