Mainstreaming the differently-abled

In tandem: Differently-abled persons perform Bharatanatyam. Incorporating differently-abled population in the corporate world is not just about CSR, but it is a business imperative.

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Highly-motivated and trained people are at the heart of any organisation and creating opportunities for training, employing and advancing persons with disabilities in India is high on the business community’s agenda .

At an Accenture’s Shaping the Future Forum in Bangalore, keynote speaker Sabriye Tenberken, Co-founder of Braille without Borders, brought wisdom to the event, saying, “Imperfection is the mother of innovation. We are not perfect, but we are on a journey and execution is the key.” 

Indian story 

 

 

Organisations in India are taking steps to include persons with disabilities in the workforce. The journey has begun, but there is much to do to make this inclusion a way of life. Here are some facts: 

According to the 2001 Census, nearly two per cent of India’s population is disabled, while non-governmental estimates say the number is higher. 

According to 2011 World Health Organisation and World Bank data less than three per cent of India’s 70 million disabled people are employed. 

About 50 per cent of the people with disabilities cannot afford health care, compared to a third of non-disabled people. 

People with disabilities are four times more likely to report being treated badly and nearly three times more likely to be denied health care. 

Education completion gaps are found among students with disabilities across all age groups in all settings, with the pattern being more pronounced in poorer countries. For example, the difference between the percentage of disabled children and the percentage of non-disabled children attending primary school ranges from 10 per cent in India to 60 per cent in Indonesia .

Policies and legal measures are in place to safeguard the interests of people with disabilities. For example, The Persons with Disabilities Act, 1995, considered by many as a milestone, states that when possible Governments and local authorities shall provide incentives to public and private sector employers whose workforce is comprised of at least five per cent persons with disabilities. 

Across India, there are many efforts and campaigns to sensitise and enlist the support of the corporate sector when it comes to recognising the abilities of people with disabilities and providing them with equal access to employment opportunities. For example, Accenture has held sessions across its offices in India to raise awareness about persons with disabilities. Overall, the corporate sector is very proactive in this regard, with platforms such as Accenture’s Shaping the Future Forum, a collaboration that brings together people from the corporate sector, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), and persons with disabilities to ideate, share perspectives and identify solutions to support the objectives of attracting, retaining, and advancing people with disabilities within organisations. 

In addition, there is a growing need to provide training to bridge the gap between those seeking a job and those offering suitable employment. 

Putting mechanisms in place 

 

 

Progressive corporate organisations and NGOs have created avenues to train differently-abled people with professional and vocational skills so they are employable. Creating jobs to productively employ this talent is critical. The JobAbility.org portal is a way to address the supply and demand gap. Live since May 2012, the portal was developed by Leonard Cheshire Disability, an NGO working globally for inclusive development and empowerment of persons with disabilities. 

JobAbility.org was sponsored through Accenture’s partnership with Leonard Cheshire Disability and is currently accessible to users in India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh as an employment exchange for job-seeking persons with disabilities and companies looking to hire and train this talent pool. It has been designed to be disabled-friendly, taking into consideration requirements of vision-impaired people, with features such as changeable screen colours, and easy navigation. Teaming with Leonard Cheshire Disability is part of Accenture’s Skills to Succeed initiative to equip 2.5 lakh people by 2015 with the skills to get a job or build a business. 

Despite all it offers, the JobAbility portal is just a window of opportunity. For it to succeed and become self-sufficient, job seekers and the corporate sector must use it to post jobs and to find jobs. It is important to recognise that there is a significant untapped pool of talent that currently is or can be trained with skills critical for existing and emerging fields of work. 

Industries, including hospitality, IT and finance, are waking up to this fact and recognising employment opportunities for persons with disabilities. Ultimately, for persons with disabilities to become a viable part of the workforce, companies must proactively adopt accommodations that empower them to be productive and work independently. 

Making a start 

 

 

One thing is certain - the change in attitude must come from the top in organisations and must be integral to a company’s business strategy. Once leadership embraces this change, it becomes a business imperative all individuals in the organisation can support. The responsibility cannot be confined to one or two people in an organisation - it needs to be a much wider movement. 

How do we begin? We must take the initiative to make our workplaces inclusive. We must be proactive to bring about this positive change. Once we begin, the effort can take on a momentum that doesn’t just impact persons with disabilities who are newly employed; it inspires those who are already working, their colleagues and, ultimately, entire organisations. In that sense, there is a direct and positive business impact of training and employing people with disabilities. 

Thinking ahead, this is not restricted to a corporate social responsibility initiative. This is a business imperative and something we should do because it makes sound business sense. 

(The writer is Managing Director, Geographic Services, Accenture India and ASEAN.)

Source : The Hindu ( Business Line ) , 22nd August 2013