We need a mix of Indian Jugaad system with new technologies, scaled up, to accelerate inclusion of persons with disabilities: Mr Rajesh Aggarwal
We need a mix of the Indian jugaad system with new technologies, something like the Jaipur foot which has been improved using new technologies, and then scale it up for the benefit of the large number of people with disabilities in the country, said Mr Rajesh Aggarwal, Secretary, Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment. He was speaking at the Zero Project India Conference and CII-IBDN National Conference, jointly organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and Zero Project India in New Delhi today. Youth4Jobs is the Lead Partner and GDi Partners and Axis Bank Foundation are other partners for this Conference, which is supported by the Omidyar Network India. With ‘Global Networks and Innovations for Inclusive Employment in India’ as the Theme, the two-day Conference brings together leading experts, practitioners, and advocates from the field of disability, innovation, and assistive technology to share innovative ideas and deliberate on ways to catalyse action to promote accessibility and inclusion.
Sharing the Government’s initiatives, Mr Aggarwal mentioned PM Daksha, which is a network of networks for skilling and employment opportunities, adding that they are collaborating with different stakeholders such as CII, Youth4Jobs, Enable India and others to increase the number of job postings to 25,000 very soon. Skilling, mentoring, and employment can be transformative for a disabled person, he stressed.
Speaking at the occasion, Mr Venkataraman S V, Chairman, CII National Committee on Empowerment of PwDs & IBDN, said that in the inclusion eco-system, the charity lens needs to be replaced with the ‘enabling’ lens. The issue of disability diversity is especially crucial in today’s DEI agenda of organizations and the CII-IBDN, a network for engaging, enabling and empowering industry by promoting an inclusive, barrier free-workplace within the corporate sector is accelerating the change. He shared the 4 elements which are common to champion companies vis-à-vis D&I, which are the top management’s commitment leading to inclusive policies and strong governance, conscious inclusive recruitment practices, awareness and adaptation to break barriers and forging strong partnerships that bring together complimentary resources to create value.
Stressing the importance of learning from each other, Mr Martin Essl, Founder and Chairman, Essl Foundation & Zero Project, said that “our mission is to find solutions and share them globally. We have found 900 innovative practices and policies and we are trying to take it to the next level by leveraging Artificial Intelligence since technology allows for transferring innovations to new areas and geographies. We believe in the power of the Zero Project Community in creating accessibility, inclusion, and equality for all.”
Ms Meera Shenoy, Founder & CEO, Youth4Jobs said that the networking spirit of the ZERO Project Conference and CII-IBDN National Conference will have a ripple effect in India with Indian innovations going abroad and global innovations coming to India, strengthening the inclusion ecosystem across the globe.
Speaking about technology’s role, Ms Shilpa Kumar, Partner, Omidyar Network India said that technology can unlock opportunity and access in a significant way. Philanthropic funding can be flexible, she said, adding that new ideas, new solutions and new networks can create Lighthouse projects which can then be scaled up with CSR support.
Turning the spotlight on ground realities, Mr Satoshi Sasaki, Officer-in-Charge (India), International Labour Organization (ILO), said that persons with disabilities account for about 16% of the world’s population, of which around 80% are in the working age, and while much has been done for their inclusion, much remains to be done. ILO has a long-standing commitment to promote social justice, and inclusive employment is a key component of inclusive growth. He stressed that all partners – governments, corporates, NGOs, civil society – must work together to accelerate the pace of change.
Sharing her views, Ms Seema Arora, Deputy Director General, CII said the need of the hour is to move beyond charity and beyond CSR to empowerment and employment and that India can provide solutions which can be scaled up and used globally.
A playbook on Accessibility was launched at the Conference. The playbook is a simple guide to accessible events to promote inclusion.
Adding an interesting dimension to the discussion was actress Ms Saiyami Kher, who has acted in a film called Ghoomer where she played a disabled sportsperson. Kher shared that for her a world with zero barriers was one in which there was equal opportunity for all and that zero barriers should mean all barriers – physical, social and cultural - are demolished.
Speaking at a panel discussion on how can global collaboration on innovative solutions and technology support inclusive employment in India, Mr Jurgen Menze from the International Labour Organisation, said that while there would be geographic differences in the way people experience disability inclusion, at the core, the challenges remain the same so it’s important to share experiences and learnings to scale the disability network.
At another panel discussion on innovations addressing rural livelihoods, Mr S Sankara Raman, Amar Sewa Sangam spoke of the potential of persons with disabilities in rural areas but that lack of self confidence and their geographic location prevents them from realizing their potential. He stressed on the importance of creating awareness and ensuring that they realise their potential.
Alongside the Conference, an exhibition was held where 20 models on assistive solutions were showcased.
20 September 2023
New Delhi