90% differently-abled people are unemployed: CII

MUMBAI: A whopping 90 per cent of the specially abled people, who comprise 2.32 per cent of the total population, are unemployed, says the industry body Confederation of Indian Industry ( CII).

During a seminar organised by the CII, the corporates opined that only 10 per cent of the specially-abled people, who are willing to work, get employment, corporates opined at a seminar organised by the CII.

Piruz Khambatta, Chairman, CII Sub Committee on CSR & Chairman of Rasna said, " Corporate social responsibility (CSR) cannot be a law. It has to come from the heart. There is a lot of scope for social sector development which would work only through public private partnerships and joint community/ corporate participation for social development.

"There should be a collaborative step towards propagating 100 per cent equal but better employment opportunity to the specially abled."

As part of CSR initiatives, CII WR has taken steps, such as launching a website with monster.com, which acts a job portal for the specially-abled people.

The objective of the seminar was to create awareness on employment opportunities for the differently abled. It aimed to address the matter of employability and provide a conducive environment for the specially abled, to help them realise their full potential and to enable them with opportunities to bring them at par with their normally abled counterparts.