Changing the mindset
Initially, the team consisting of Muthuraj from the Bengaluru chapter of Cheshire Homes, Mamatha from the Mangaluru chapter of Cheshire Homes and Javid from Enable India scouted various taluks to identify people with disability. Identified people were then assessed and screened, and out of 200 candidates, 70 were shortlisted for training in two batches of five days each.
The candidates were provided with food and accommodation during the training period. Sharath from Enable India, who is visually impaired himself, explained to the trainees the need to push themselves and learn the skills to make a livelihood rather than depending on charity.
The training sessions concentrated on changing the mindset of the candidates in a positive manner. Their negative mindset was slowly changed by giving them positive affirmations such as 'I can' or 'I'll try'. "A person with disability has to prove to the employer that he or she can perform on par with the counterparts in the office and won't make excuses using his or her disability. So, hard work, honesty, discipline and efficiency are the qualities desired by a prospective employer and our candidates have to fulfil these expectations to the best of their ability," says Sharath.
As part of the training programme, testimonial videos of differently abled people who have conquered their drawbacks and carved a niche for themselves in sectors such as IT, garment designing and telemarketing were shown to encourage the candidates. Language and soft skill training was imparted to them so that they could communicate better. There were also sessions to brush up their computer skills. They were also exposed to working in the office environment and taken to neighbouring destitute homes for community welfare work.
Meanwhile, as the candidates were being trained, Javid, Muthuraj and Mamatha approached prospective employers and sensitised them regarding the employability of the persons with disability. Though 17 companies agreed to come for job placement, only six companies turned up. As this concept was new in the district, all efforts were made to promote employment opportunities. Employers were urged to look for quality in service and the enthusiasm to serve rather than focusing on the candidates' disability.
Awareness building is a two-way process. The first part is to create awareness among persons with disability that they can achieve success with hard work and determination, and second part was to create awareness among prospective employers that differently abled candidates can perform on par with their counterparts.
Platform to find jobs
A job fair exclusive to differently abled persons was conducted on January 21, 2017 at the Cheshire Homes India premises. Around 70 candidates attended the fair. Earlier also, Cheshire Homes India, Mangaluru had trained and placed a few of its residents like Beena Maria, a trained nurse who is partially paralysed, in a hospital's blood bank; and Fatima, a rehabilitated arthritic patient, in a photocopying unit. But this was the first time that so many candidates had come under one platform to be selected by prospective employers.
Karnataka Agencies, a manufacturer of utility vehicles based in Mangaluru, were enthusiastic to hire people with disabilities and hired one candidate. Webtel India, a BPO Company that selected three candidates, were willing to train them as data entry personnel in their IT outsourcing sector. These positive responses from the employers boosted the morale of differently abled and helped them emerge as confident persons.
Cheshire Homes India hopes to continue its community-based services for differently abled persons and bring such people into the mainstream workforce. Empowering differently abled people is the guiding force behind such job fairs.
The organisation aims to hold such fairs in future also.
To know more, visit www.cheshireindia.org.