Our D&I practice- A journey that began unintentionally !!

An able mind - Our Experience with D&I

This is a short story about Raju. He is completely blind. He came as a student to LiveC when we conducted a Live Enabled job fair focusing on the differently abled.

When I find a smart youngster, I usually say “ I see a spark in his eyes”. With Raju, I saw the spark in his speech and his attitude. He was a student and was not qualified to nail an offer from any of the MNC giants who had set up booths at the fair. He however approached me for financial assistance. Financially he was in a very bad place- he could barely pay his hostel fees and he was having just one meal a day. I agreed to help him but insisted that in return he work part time for me as my receptionist.

And that was the beginning of a journey for him that culminated in his dream job- a teacher in a government school.

Raju had several qualities for which he has earned my unstinting admiration. He was ALWAYS positive. He would barely be able to pay his hostel fees and three meals a day was a luxury for him. I never once heard him whining. He quickly learnt to navigate his way around the EPABX with a native, intuitive intelligence that never ceased to surprise me. His memory was stellar. That was when I began to believe that limitations exist only in our mind.

When a visitor stepped into my reception, Raju could immediately sense?them and was always vigilant. He established great relationships with all the regulars who dropped in – from courier delivery guys to the tea guy to the maintenance guys. He was always disciplined. He never once indulged in taking off from work or studies. His priority was always clear- he was aiming for a job as a government teacher. When his studies overwhelmed him, he resigned from LiveC. He was clear that nothing was going to deter him from the pursuit of?his goals. My husband had been, in addition to the salary from LiveC helping him financially. He quit his job with us, cut down on his expenses, and kept relationship with my husband going strong. He would give him regular updates on his academic growth. In his relentless pursuit of his goal, he had completed his M.Phil. and B.Ed.

Recently he called my husband, wanting to meet him. We invited him over. Raju was now a full-time government teacher. He had married a girl, and they had a son. He wanted us to meet and bless his son.

He talked about his challenges every day in navigating his way physically and emotionally with this world. He was grateful to us for monetary assistance and the part time job. He felt that that work experience helped him in clearing the final interview.

We have able minds in differently abled bodies- but those agile bright minds can help in contributing to the economy and overall progress. Sightless Raju gave us a fresh perspective to routine problems, and his intelligence shone even in a banal job such as a receptionist.

I am writing this to urge all corporates to go beyond lip service when it comes to hiring PWD talent. Diverse talent truly brings in a culture of “challenging the normal” and creates an environment where we can all flourish.

Happy to also add that LiveC’s D&I & LGBTQ practice has partnered with many corporates in enabling their diversity journey!