Aug 2024 at the DEI Lab: Widening The Inclusion Net

Hello. We stayed afloat through a very rainy Mumbai July. The Olympics memes have helped. So has all the love you’ve sent us for stories through Disability Pride month. We promise the work isn’t stopping there. This time, you’re reading about:???

1. One org’s successful skilling + employment model for folks with intellectual and developmental disabilities?
2. A new documentary we made!?
3. Things to read + learn + think about re. DEI in India and the world.
4. A meme that will explain the ‘brat’ phenomenon to you.?

“We do not “do” inclusion “for” people with disabilities. Rather, it is incumbent upon us to figure out how all the things we do can be inclusive.”?- Lisa Friedman,?Removing The Stumbling Block. ?

MAIN STORY

YCT’s solution-oriented approach towards intellectual disabilities??

In the US, Sushama Nagarkar tried to find opportunities for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, who might want structure and work as they grew out of school and into employment age. In her quest, she turned back to Mumbai, India, and saw her empty garage as a space of possibilities where she could train people with IDDs with daily life skills, and provide career opportunities. This is the story of how her organisation, Yash Charitable Trust , did exactly that.?

Read the full report by Ritu Desai here. Please do share it! Helpful links?here?and?here. ?

NEWS FROM US

What the Group’s been up to

• We’re filmmakers! Okay, not quite. But here’s our new documentary, ‘Access/Ability,’ which premiered mid-July. People are liking it: we hope you do, too. Do check it out?here. ??
• Our colleague Maira Q. from Godrej Capital spoke at Fortis Hospital, Mulund, on inclusive healthcare. We think you’ll enjoy reading?her post about it. Also,?here’s?a refresher from Maira on how Godrej Capital marked Pride Month earlier this year, with a sharp focus on affirmative action. And in still more GC news, they just?concluded?their GCLA Headway Programme, a women’s leadership development initiative. Boss moves.?
• Godrej Consumer Products Limited hosted?a hiring drive aimed at persons with disabilities. They told us that over 40 candidates with disabilities participated. And they’ve placed nine individuals in various blue-collar and white-collar roles already! Hey new colleagues, we can’t wait to meet you.?
• Our Godrej Properties Limited colleagues were ?awarded?the ‘Realty+ Harit Bharat Award for ESG Excellence,’ honouring their dedication to people and planet – something we talk about all the time at Godrej. On which note –?
• Gayatri Divecha , head of Good & Green,?writes?about women and labour in Indian agriculture, and highlights how women can be agents of change in ushering in climate smart agriculture. ?
• Our corporate brand and communications team received top honours at the 2024 SABRE Awards South Asia, which we’re told are the Oscars of the industry. Among their five(!) gold medals was one for Godrej L’affaire’s?Bhai Dooj?video, which you should absolutely watch if you haven’t already.?

IN MORE NEWS

DEI in the news in India

• IRS officer Anukathir Surya M Surya made history by being the first transperson to have his gender and name change?reflected?on the rolls of the Indian Administrative Services.? Elsewhere, Bihar just?got?its first transgender sub-inspector.?
• The Supreme Court of India issued?guidelines?regarding the portrayal of PwD in visual media, upholding the right to dignity that the Indian Constitution seeks for all citizens. ?
• News to make your skin clear: NIVEA has started work to welcome employees with disabilities at their plant in Sanand, Gujarat. Our friend Vineet Saraiwala writes about the beginning of this initiative?here. ??
• The new Disability Equality Index Report?reveals?that just 0.4% of Indian employees are persons with disabilities. (Reminder that disability demographics almost always suffer from under-counting.) ?
• In good numbers: India?witnessed?a 33% year-over-year surge in hiring from historically excluded groups, reflecting a heightened emphasis on diversity and inclusion policies among companies. ?
• Sumeet Parikshit writes?about a day in the life of a disabled person and the rough road to inclusive infrastructure in our cities. ?

QUIZ

When were the first Paralympics Games held?????? ?

A. 1976 in ?rnsk?ldsvik, Sweden?

B. 1960 in Rome, Italy?

C. 1948 in London, the UK?

D. 1972 in Heidelberg, Germany?

Scroll down to see if you got it right!

GODREJ ONE BOOK CLUB

Demystifying Disability: What to Know, What to Say, and How to Be an Ally?

by?Emily Ladau?

This month, we’re reading Emily Ladau ’s enlightening book. She argues that disability is a part of the human experience, which means it must be addressed in the day-to-day language we use to talk with and about people with disabilities. Demystifying Disability is an insightful, friendly and easy-to-understand guide meant for non-disabled allies. Read it. ?

MEME

FOOTER

Quiz Answer: B. 1960 in Rome. In that year, The 9th International Stoke Mandeville Games took place from 18th September to 25th September. Subsequently, they came to be considered as the first Paralympic Games. Read more on their history?here. ?

FURTHER READING

• Study period:?The “Mainstreaming Diversity & Inclusiveness in Indian Advertising” study by The Advertising Standards Council of India .? It covers over 261 ads in 13 languages, and their approaches to age, gender, sexual orientation, race/ethnicity, physical appearance, social class, disabilities, and religion. Read it?here.?
• Job Rolls:?The?‘Employment Outlook Survey’ by 万宝盛华 for Q3 of 2024, where they ask employers across the world about their second quarter hiring intentions, fostering diverse talent and closing the gender gap. ??
• Back To College: Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur is?working?with the Indian government’s Disability Affairs Environment on an Accessible Built Environment course. Indian Institute of Technology Delhi is also set out to offer a new course on gender and queer rights in India. If you know other similar courses, drop us an email!?
• Guy Talk:?This?opinion piece by psychologist Niobe Way on ‘Boy Culture’ and what it means for men’s mental health today. ??
• Also:?check out the?Advancing DEI initiative,?a project by Meltzer Center for Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging at NYU School of Law – with a focus on making information on US law and DEI accessible to everyone. We’d love to see a tracker like this in India.?

ALSO

• Watch:? Netflix 's documentary?Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution?- an entertaining and inspiring look into a push for historic legal advancements for disabled communities. (But first watch?Access/Ability, okay?)?
• Heart:?The work of multidisciplinary artist Balbir Krishan whose amazing work lies at the intersection of disability and queerness. Follow them on Instagram?here. ?
• Listen:?‘Worth Asking: Gender, Politics and South Asia’ is a podcast by Centre for Gender And Politics (CGAP) that focuses on women politics in South Asia, their stories of success and the roadblocks encountered. Check it?here.?

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