Employ our disabled, boost our workforce

A country should be judged by how they treat their disabled, aged and non-human citizens. For persons with disabilities (PwD), life in India is like running on an unending obstacle course. What is more unfortunate is that even if a few among them manage to cross those hurdles - discrimination, lack of accessible infrastructure and facilities, and educational and skilling support, to name a few - most falter on yet another track: employment. But things are changing. Several private companies like IndiGo, Lemon Tree and KFC are hiring PwDs - not for out-of-sight backend jobs but demanding customer-facing roles. These firms are identifying newer roles for PwDs, investing in accessible facilities and sensitising employees to the needs of their differently-abled colleagues.

There are 30 million disabled Indians. According to UnearthInsight's 2021 study, 13 million of them are employable. But only 34 lakh have jobs across the organised and unorganised sectors, via government-led schemes and self-employment. Tech and retail are leading the way in skilling and creating job opportunities for PwDs. This means much more than just getting employed. More social and economic visibility also means the state being pushed to invest much more in disabled-friendly infrastructure and PwD-focused educational and skilling opportunities.

More PwDs in public spaces will sensitise the 'general' public towards legitimate needs of their fellow citizens. India passed its landmark disability Act in 1995. In 2007, it ratified the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. In 2015, it signed the SDGs charter. A common thread - ensuring financial independence of PwDs - runs through them. India Inc and India must join hands to fulfil that promise.