While several companies and industries in Tamil Nadu are helping persons with disabilities, many more opportunities for employment should be created and disabled people should not struggle to find jobs, said Health Minister Ma. Subramanian.
To mark the International Day of Disabled Persons he was speaking at an event organised by the National Career Service Centre for Persons with Disabilities and ITC Grand Chola Hotel where appointment orders to work at the hotel were given to disabled candidates.
“There are nearly 4.32 lakh persons with disabilities registered with the Revenue Department. We need to ensure that employment opportunities are available for all of them whether in the private or public sectors,” the Health Minister said. Speaking about the efforts taken by the State Government, he highlighted the recently inaugurated ramp on Marina beach and said that a similar one would be coming up at Besant Nagar beach as well.
“A building constructed at the cost of ₹39 crore in M.G.R. Nagar will also be inaugurated soon where assistive equipment for the disabled will be made available, vocational training sessions, and documents too for persons with disabilities will be made available there,” he added.
As many as 14 persons were given appointment orders to work in various departments of the ITC Grand Chola Hotel at the function. Zubin Songadwala, Area Manager said that it was a part of their efforts towards building a more inclusive world. “As an industry, I hope that several other hotels too come together and provide more opportunities for persons with disabilities. What we are doing is a small drop in the ocean and persons with disabilities deserve more such opportunities,” he said.
Sangeetha Pargunan, Deputy Director, National Career Service Centre for Persons with Disabilities which functions under the Ministry of Labour and Employment, said that the centre offered vocational training with a monthly stipend for persons with all types of disabilities. “We also help them with seeking out employment opportunities, and want more persons to be aware of the centre,” she added.
