It is true that the differently-abled get a raw deal in the economy of the country. However, this is changing as steps are being taken to include them in the India growth story. EnAble India, a Bangalore-based NGO working for the uplift of physically challenged people, together with Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), organized a job fair with a difference.

Companies like Integra Garments, ITC Hotels, ITC Agarbatis, Coffee Day and IBC Hotels and Resorts participated in the fair, and employed 70 people with low vision or hearing disability or mild mental retardation and other physical disabilities. They are not highly qualified people, and have been given vocational training by EnAble to allow them to be usefully employed and earn a living.

We can see what a difference it has made in their lives form the following article in Thaindian:

“I am happy that I got a job. I am no more dependent on my parents,” said an excited Bina Prasad, 22, who is hearing impaired and was chosen by Bangalore-based Integra Garments as a tailor.

Echoing Bina’s emotion, 23-year-old Sourav Shukla, who has locomotive disorder and was offered a job by ITC Agarbati, said the job would help him lead life with dignity. Sourav is a trained incense maker.

According to the World Bank report, there is a great difference between the opportunities and economic conditions of the disabled people in India from their healthy counterparts:

People with disabilities are among the most excluded in Indian society, according to “People with Disabilities in India: From Commitments to Outcomes”, a report prepared by World Bank in collaboration with the central Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment in 2007.

The report states that disabled adults have far lower employment rates than the general population and this fell from 43 percent in 1991 to 38 percent in 2002, even in the midst of high economic growth.

This is a commendable step forward for inclusive growth, and we hope the beginning of many similar initiatives in the future in order to bridge the gap.

Read the complete article here.

Image Courtesy: www.newhopeaustralia.org

About DEEDS:
DEEDS is a Charity for the Hearing Impaired. It is an acronym that stands for Development Education Empowerment for the Disadvantaged in Society.

Their Vision:
‘To Enrich & Touch the lives of at least 10,000 deaf persons  by the end of this decade’. In pursuance of this Vision, so as to make the deaf financially Self Reliant & Contributors in main stream Society’.
 

Key Areas of Focus:
 - Free Education for the deaf
- Free Vocational Training for the deaf
- Ensuring Job Placements

Ongoing Projects: 

They have 11 ongoing projects in Mumbai ,Vadodara , Noida and Dehradun.  
Some of their projects are as follows:

• Noida Deaf Society – Noida (Computer centre providing Basic & Advanced Computer knowledge)
• DEEDS Ishara Initiative – Mumbai (Teaching English Literacy with the help of Sign Language)
• The Bajaj Institute of Learning – Dehradun (Provides education from KG to XIIth totally free
• DEEDS Catering Institute – Mumbai (Provides a one-year full-time diploma with stipend in catering certified by Maharashtra State Vocation Board)
• DEEDS LTMG Tailoring Project- Mumbai. It provides free training in the tailoring vocation.
• DEEDS Computer Center at Sanskardham at Goregaon. It imparts basic and advanced skills in computers.
• DEEDS Computer Center at Samvad Karnabadhir Prabodhini at Dombivali. It imparts basic and advanced skills in computer.
• DEEDS  Computer Rooms in  schools like Rochiram Thadani School for the Hearing Handicapped, Chembur and Pragati Vidyalaya for the deaf, Dadar.
• DEEDS also provide material support to 27 schools for the deaf in Mumbai as per requirements.

Achievements:

Their success rate in placements also has been considerable.  They have placed over 400 candidates in various fields like banking, hospitality, catering, house-keeping, traffic attendents at petrol pumps, Brew Masters, Jewellery-making, diamond sorting, clerical jobs and back office processes. They are constantly striving to improve our ties with the various sectors of industry to identify lucrative opportunities for their candidates. 

Upcoming Events:
DEEDS is conducting a fund raising event on the 22nd October in Mumbai. It is a hilarious play with a comic twist, adapted and directed by Shubha Khote. Click here to know more about the event.

Stay tuned for volunteering opportunities with DEEDS.

Contact DEEDS at:
Development, Education, Empowerment of the Disadvantaged in Society
8 Bajaj Arcade,
31, Union Park, Khar(W),
Mumbai 400 052. India.
Tel: +91-22-26005083/84.
Email: humanity@deeds-india.com

Read more about DEEDS and their work at their website: http://www.deeds-india.com/

Now lakhs of Indians with hearing disability will have access to a mobile dictionary in Indian Sign Language (ISL). Initiated by two youths in Vadodara – Rajesh Ketkar, himself 100 percent hearing impaired, and his friend Virbhadrasinh Rathod, this dictionary will enable the disabled person to have an image picture word with video-graphed sign language, all on the screen of his mobile.

The seeds of this idea were germinated in the minds of these youths when they attended a conference by the World Federation for Deaf in Madrid last year. Depariti Basu reports their story in this article in Indian Express:

“There were deaf people from across the world and we were amazed to see their confidence level. In India people still look at the deaf with sympathy unlike in other countries. There they ask for ‘professional assistance’ and not ‘help.’ We were exposed to their technology which is not used anywhere in India or even in any other Asian country,” Ketkar said through an interpreter. 

The two also run an NGO called Mook Badhir Mandal in Vadodara, for the hearing impaired. All this inspite of just having received education till class X, which is provided by the government, after which Ketkar took up vocational training in tailoring. Once again it is proved that education is not really a barrier for a firm determination and a will to succeed. Kudos to these youngsters who have taught us a lot.

Read the complete article hear