 This newsletter highlights key milestones in disability inclusion. It features Ajay Minocha’s insights on workplace accessibility at Anarock, Srikanth Nakka’s journey to becoming a WINGS trainee at Marico, and Centurion University’s pioneering efforts in upskilling Deaf youth for meaningful employment. | | Pledging inclusion with Anarock | Ajay Minocha, Solution Manager at Deloitte Consulting and an inclusion advocate, joined Anarock’s Pledging Inclusion virtual event as a guest speaker. The session explored his journey of resilience, workplace inclusion, assistive technology, and the role of AI in creating equal opportunities. This focused discussion highlighted common gaps in development practices and ways to build more inclusive spaces. The conversation saw active audience participation, with one remark from Anuj Puri standing out: “Pressure makes diamonds, and you truly are one.” | From a government school to an employee of Marico | Coming from a government school background, Srikanth Nakka scored an impressive percentile in Class 10, earning admission to RGUKT, a government initiative supporting students in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Always dedicated to his studies, Srikanth’s abilities often took a backseat to the societal perception of his hearing impairment. Today, he has made his place at Marico as a WINGS trainee, marking an important step in his professional journey. “I’m sincerely grateful to everyone who created this opportunity and, most importantly, believed in my potential,” says Srikanth. | Creating pathways to employment through upskilling | Vineet Saraiwala, Founder & CEO of Atypical Advantage, recently visited Centurion University in Jatni, Odisha, where he was hosted by Shreejaya, AVP at LernErn, to explore skilling partnership. During the visit, he saw students learning through hands-on training in areas such as woodworking, applied biosciences and other technical trades. What stood out was the way Deaf students were learning and working alongside their peers, building skills for the workplace. Centurion’s work in inclusion goes back over a decade, when the university trained and placed over 400 Deaf youth at Café Coffee Day in mainstream hospitality, pioneering the initiative popularly known as India’s “Silent Brewmasters”. Their work is a reminder that for persons with disabilities to access meaningful employment, technical skilling must be an integral part of the journey. | International Day of Persons with Disabilities is knocking your door | Celebrated globally on 3 December, the International Day of Persons with Disabilities is an opportunity to champion inclusion through meaningful engagement. Atypical Advantage offers engaging experiences led by talented persons with disabilities, ranging from interactive disability sensitization sessions and experiential learning activities to musical performances, dance performances, and fun art workshops. Reach out to us at vineet.s@atypicaladvantage.in to pre-book your IDPD engagement and make your celebrations truly inclusive. | DDA's New Multilevel Parking Facility Ensures Seamless Access for Persons with Disabilities | The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) has completed a new 645-vehicle multilevel parking facility at Bhikaji Cama Place, designed with universal accessibility at its core. Opening in November, the facility features dedicated accessible parking spaces and all-floor lift access, ensuring seamless, barrier-free movement for persons with disabilities, marking a positive step toward inclusive urban infrastructure in the capital's commercial hubs. (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 55,000+ 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. | |
