Strengthened by the experience of assisting a close member of their family in dealing with disability, Shanti Raghavan and Dipesh Sutariya, a couple that used to work in the software industry, decided to help other people with disabilities use their latent abilities. That launched EnAble India, a 14-year old NGO located in Koramangala 8th Block.
This NGO offers profession-oriented training and job placement to people with visual and hearing impairments, physical disabilities, cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, mental illness and developmental delays. Dipesh says, “We understand the demands of corporate sector jobs after [having worked in them] for over a decade. And having seen a young loved one achieve much despite challenges gives us the capacity to relate to other people with disabilities in a sensitive manner.”
The organisation offers free courses in computer basics and medical transcription for the visually challenged, business process outsourcing for the hearing impaired, pre-employment orientation, and so on. Lasting from a few weeks to a year, these programmes accept people from all economic backgrounds. Trainees are also encouraged to give back to society through their involvement in environment-friendly initiatives.
“Our training sessions prepare people physically and mentally to work efficiently in a high-pressure environment,” says Shanti. Large private firms that have employed persons with disabilities trained at EnAble India have commended the candidates for their high productivity and returned to the organisation to hire more. The NGO also educates employers, parents, caregivers and teachers about the skills and needs of adults and children with disabilities.
