News

Volume 4 Issue 6 - March 15, 2006

I.T.C. undertaking initiative for inclusion of disabled people

D.N.I.S. News Network- With the Indian economy galloping at the pace of eight per cent, there is an increased demand for skilled human resource in the industry and service sector. It is with this in view that the I.T.C. Welcome Group of Industries has undertaken a multi-pronged initiative for inclusion of disabled people in its workforce.

In a communication to N.C.P.E.D.P., the Group has shared their ideas for effective employment of disabled people.

Some of the salient aspects of this approach are:

1. Linking disabled people with human resource functions so that it is gradually institutionalised.

2. Ending myths associated with disabled people when it comes to employing them. This would be done by greater information dissemination and exposure, in partnership with disabled peoples’ organisations.

3. Identifying niche opportunities where the capability of disabled people find place in the working needs of an organisation without a hiccup in the flow of the work.

4. Making the working place a universal building from design stage to bring in access features like ramps, disabled-friendly toilets and necessary assistive technologies.

In the said communication, General Manager Welcomenviron Initiatives Nirajan Khatri said: “We have so far taken only 13 disabled people and as our collective learning increases, the numbers will be scaled up. The key lies in the industry recruiting in small numbers to begin with, in order to move the statistics to somewhere around four per cent of the workforce in the Indian Industry in the next three to four years.”

Following a recent meeting with National Association of Blind and Enable India in Bangalore, the Group has recruited four disabled people at ITC Hotel Windsor Sheraton and Towers.