 From Nexus Mall’s Independence Day celebrations featuring artists with disabilities to Varun Walia, a person with a learning disability, finding his place in production at Havas, and neurodivergent girls building meaningful connections while caring for dogs at Poochkoo in Bengaluru, this edition brings stories that show how inclusion is becoming a meaningful part of workplaces, creating more opportunities for persons with disabilities. | | Nexus: Yet another inclusive Independence Day celebration | For the fourth year in a row, Nexus Mall celebrated Independence Day, keeping artists with disabilities as the star performers of the day. At Nexus Hyderabad, visitors came together for two interactive art experiences: Threads of Freedom by Uday Kiran (Hearing Impaired), where diverse fabric pieces came together to create a collective map of India, and Flames of Freedom by R Kedhar (Autism), where visitors shared what freedom means to them and added coloured leaves to form the Indian flag. The activations brought people of all ages together in a joyful celebration of creativity and inclusion, while also sensitising them to the fact that artists with disabilities are not just talented artists, but can also lead, engage with and manage crowds with confidence. Meanwhile, at Nexus Westend in Pune, singer Mayuri (Visual Impairment) returned for the second year with a soulful evening of patriotic songs. With crowds gathering around her, cheering and singing along, she marked another memorable Independence Day celebration. As Nexus shared, “It was a pleasure having Mayuri for the show.” | Havas: A place that opened its door to candidates with learning disability | “I’m Varun Walia, a filmmaker and actor, currently working with Havas. I’ve learning disability and society believes that I cannot do anything valuable. But today, I have the opportunity to build my career in a field I genuinely enjoy and am passionate about.” However, finding that opportunity wasn’t easy. For Varun, one of the biggest challenges was finding a job that aligned with his interests and gave him the space to grow in the field he truly wanted to pursue. Through our platform, we connected Varun with the right opportunity and he eventually found his place at Havas as an Intern in Production. Today, he is learning every day, gaining valuable experience and, most importantly, doing work that he loves. “Getting a job is important, but getting an opportunity in a field you genuinely enjoy makes it even more special. I’m very happy with where I am today and truly grateful to Atypical Advantage for being a part of my journey.” | Poochkoo: A place where love, care and empowerment co-exist | At Poochkoo in Bangalore, girls with neurodiversity are finding joy, purpose and connection through caring for dogs. From taking them for walks and helping with bath time to showering them with love and affection, every interaction is an opportunity to learn, build confidence and create meaningful bonds. They love their workplace so much that they don’t want to miss a single day. Along the way, they’ve not only formed a special bond with the dogs but also found friends who understand and connect with them deeply. Here are a few glimpses from the centre of wagging tails, warm smiles and beautiful moments of companionship. | UP Government Formulates Surgical Grant Scheme for Persons with Disabilities | The Uttar Pradesh government announced a financial assistance scheme providing grants of up to ₹6 lakh per eligible individual to cover approved surgeries. Aimed at economically vulnerable families, the program covers corrective and preventive procedures for physical, visual, and hearing impairments to boost health and long-term mobility. (Source: TOI) | Atypical Advantage is India’s largest livelihood platform for Persons with Disabilities(PWD). Whether it is a singer looking for a show, a visual artist looking to sell their paintings, or job seekers with disabilities looking for career opportunities, it bridges the supply & demand side inefficiencies so that Persons with Disabilities can earn a dignified income. We have a large pool of 50,000+ talents with disabilities and have worked with 500+ corporates within a short span of 5 years. We were also featured on Shark Tank Season 2 and were declared the winner of the prestigious National Startup Award for Social Impact, and the National Award for Best Organization empowering persons with disabilities in 2024, conferred by the Union Government. For more information, visit our website here. | |
