An estimated 386 million of the world's working-age people have some kind of disability, as per a study conducted by the International Labor Organization (ILO). Unemployment among the persons with disabilities is as high as 80 per cent in some countries. Of the some 70 million persons with disabilities in India, only about 100,000 have succeeded in obtaining employment in industry.

As a parent of a 15-year old autistic boy who has been successfully mainstreamed in a regular school, I can understand the travails of the millions who have tread this path. I believe that true integration of the differently abled can happen only with a combination of education, societal acceptance and economic independence. While the journey towards education and societal acceptance has gained momentum with the mushrooming of many schools / institutions stepping in and showing openness in mainstreaming of our children in the field of education (though we still have a long way to go), my dream is to see every differently abled person in our country to be gainfully employed and be a productive part of our society by digging into the ample opportunities available.

In this direction, we plan to offer a one-stop solution for the differently abled. As we embark on this journey, the first step is to identify the special talents in the individual, match it to the opportunities available and ensure a perfect meeting point. We desire to not only help in prospective employment for the differently abled, but also facilitate their seamless acceptance into the organizational mainstream setup.

The methodology adopted would be to have a specially designed Questionnaire to be filled by the prospective candidates which will be circulated to the corporates after due screening including necessary personal interview. After vetting of the questionnaire, the candidate will be requested to prepare for a job interview or teleconference with the prospective employer in which we would be actively participating as mediators. After selection, we would facilitate an orientation programme for the prospective candidates at the new location and also existing employees (to generate awareness and sensitivity) which will be organized for ensuring compatibility of the individual abilities with the organizational goals and objectives.

We will also help the organizations to reach out to the differently abled and utilize this large pool of untapped skill for better productivity by facilitating them identify areas of expertise which can be considered for the differently abled.

Do join me in this journey and let's make a difference together!