India Inc opens more doors for differently abled

Silu Dash from Nayagarh district in Odisha is speech and hearing impaired. After a polytechnic course where he learnt skills such as welding, drilling and job measuring, he's set to join STL's optical fibre cable plant at Dadra. Dash is in the first batch of differently abled employees being onboarded at the plant as part of a pilot project launched this year by STL.

Dash said the environment was quite welcoming from the interview stage itself. A sign-language interpreter helped them communicate with the panel. The onboarding team also explained the various accessibility features installed at the plant. "We wanted to feel included and treated on a par with other employees - we got that, there was no discrimination," he said.

December 3 is marked as the International Day of Persons with Disabilities. Hiring people with disabilities (PwDs) also requires colleagues to be sensitised besides making the workplace more accessible.


Management and employees at the plant were taken through basic American sign-language classes to communicate better. Incorporating Braille in training, creating appropriate pathways and ramps are also on the cards.

"It is critical for organisations to understand the requirements and initiatives required for PwDs," said Anjali Byce, CHRO, STL. "Inclusion must include clarity of thought, empathetic approach and respect for differences. Only then can we create an environment in which they not only feel at ease, but also thrive."

These are all baby steps - PwDs are still a minuscule part of the workforce - but India Inc seems to be making an effort at fostering inclusivity for differently abled staff.

Using Tech to Empower the Differently-Abled
While STL's senior executives have picked up some sign language, Flipkart has set up delivery centres in Delhi and, more recently, in Bengaluru for PwDs, who manage all operations at these sites. From a pilot project that only had a few employees, there are now around 2,100 PwDs across the supply chain.

"Employees are given training in workflows including sensitisation sessions, special classroom training and on-job training with the help of sign-language interpreters," Prajakta Kanaglekar, vice president, Ekart HR leader, told ET. "Employees in consumer-facing roles such as wishmasters (delivery executives) are provided with customer interaction cards to help any hearing-impaired employees communicate with ease."

This week, KFC launched a restaurant in Pune operated by specially abled team members, as part of its ongoing efforts to double the number of such outlets under the Kshamata programme. The company has hired more than 150 speech- and hearing-impaired team members in 19 cities over the past few years. Other companies such as Accenture, Microsoft, IBM and PayU are also working on a variety of initiatives, including the setting up of technology platforms for voice-to-text and text-to-voice conversion, leadership development interventions, employee resource groups for disability and more. Accenture is empowering PwDs through skilling programmes, leadership development interventions, progressive people policies and medical insurance benefits, in addition to sensitising people to eliminate unconscious bias. "Each of our businesses has a dedicated recruitment team focused on this talent segment," said Lakshmi C, lead, HR, Accenture in India. "We partner with specialised external organisations, participate in niche job fairs, have an employee referral programme to boost hiring, and run a six-month-long inclusive internship programme to build a skilled talent pool in this segment."

Microsoft has been working on technology to make the daily workflow accessible for PwDs. For instance, transport and cafeteria services can be used via apps by people who are blind or have low vision. Doors at campuses now open at the wave of a hand.

IBM has set up a task force to review applications for accessibility and to assist employees with solutions. The tech firm also conducts regular infrastructure and building gap analysis audits to address accessibility gaps, said Prachi Rastogi, diversity and inclusion leader, IBM Asia Pacific. PayU has rolled out an employee resource group for disability innovators.