Employment in India

Job Postings

For jobs for the PwDs in general, check the listing on Employment in India under Home.

Job Portal for the Specially Abled

Powered By Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment and Managed By National Handicapped Finance and Development Corporation, is a portal that allows to search for:

  • Jobs - by function, location etc.

  • Training

  • Self-Employment Loan and

  • Education Loan

Any Job Seeker, Employer or Training Institute can register and interact through the site.

TRRAIN Trust: Pankh - Wings of Destiny, in association with HSBC Bank, in their Disability Employment: Indian Retail Changing Equations January 2019 Report, has investigated in great detail the opportunity that exists in providing employment for Persons with Disabilities in the retail sector.

We quote:

Why do Companies Hire PwDs?

The initial set of recruitments happened either because someone from the immediate family would have been disabled or to experiment. In the recent past, this has moved past strong business reasons.

Though, no formal assessment has been done, all of the companies (studied as part of our research), echoed very similar benefits. According to the folks interviewed, these benefits were played back by the store managers and frontline staff who are amongst the most important stakeholders in ensuring the success in hiring PwDs. The reasons stated are:

  • Productivity rates are higher in whatever role PwD employees are in, at least 1.5 times.

  • Quality of the work done is seen to be better.

  • Attrition rates are lower once they are settled in; and do not normally quit their job for small issues. Companies peg their attrition to be around 50 percent lower than the able employees.

  • Focus is high and typically do not waste time in water cooler chit-chat.

  • The PwD employees are committed and sincere.

  • Internally, other able employees feel proud and stickiness is bit more (feel the company is empathetic and may reconsider before quitting); and also take pride in this fact in their circles.

  • Positive impact on customers shopping from that particular store.

  • Positive impact on the morale of the frontline staff, who work with the PwDs. It brings out their empathetic side. Many of them learn basic sign language to interact and encourage.

  • Positive impact on the reputation of the company while recruiting (across levels).

There also have been many direct/indirect impacts on the business, some of which cannot be quantified but can definitely be noticed:

  • Stickiness of customers (who shop from the store because of this).

  • Savings in terms of recruiting and training of new recruits; the notional loss of business till the new recruits to come up to speed.

  • Creating a positive sense of goodwill around the business.

End of Quote.

It may be noted that the above observations are made for PwDs i general, but the study adequately includes visually impaired and low vision disabilities within that. So a lot of positive vive.

The same study also looks at the barriers in the process.

We quote:

Barriers for Hiring

Though the reasons for hiring PwDs are compelling, these are yet to find their way into the majority of organizations. The main barriers are the apprehensions due to the existing myths and stereotypes of PwDs. Even the companies that are currently hiring had gone through this phase.

The second one is the awareness of how to go about recruiting PwDs. Even if there is interest, the step is not easily taken. All the companies that were met as part of the research had an inspiration and a catalyst story, typically some organizations that has been through this before. They have drafted behind these early experts till they found their tailwind.

  • Mental/Emotional Quotient

    • Can't take stress.

    • Low confidence and self-esteem

  • Infrastructure

    • Require infrastructure changes.

    • Accommodation, pickup and drop.

  • Physically Fragile

    • Could get hurt easily.

    • Could fall sick often.

    • Increase in medical expenditure.

  • Job Related

    • Sensitive

    • Not productive

    • Require constant supervision

    • Can't handle larger responsibility

    • Not committed

    • Capabilities/skills for front end

    • Not highly educated

End of quote.

It may be noted that some of the barriers are more relevant for other forms of impairment besides the visual.

Equal Opportunity Employment

People were more likely to give alms to a blind person. There was no awareness of the potentialities of such people and their need to be treated with dignity and respect - Jinnah.

My goal has always been equality of opportunities and experience for people with visual disabilities. People need to be sensitized to the potentials and problems. of the visually impaired. They are no different from others. Typically society tends to overestimate the disability and underestimate the potentials of people with disabilities - Jinnah.

Jobs for Blind and Visually Impaired in India

There are numerous job roles that are offered to the visually impaired by both the government and the private sector. Various programs and courses such as the basic level of IT/Computer programing collated with JAWS (A Screen Reader Software) and NVDA (Non-Visual Desktop Access). There are programs that equip visually impaired candidates through CRM Voice and QP Training. By taking up these different courses, visually impaired people can enter into different fields.

Career Options (in alphabetical order)

  • Accessibility Testing: Accessibility testing is a subset of usability testing where the users under consideration have disabilities that affect how they use the technology in general and web in particular. Accessibility testing is more formalized and tests compliance to various web accessibility standards.

Accessibility testing for devices, software (like speech recognition, screen reader / magnifier), apps or websites may include color blindness, blindness or low vision, hearing, old age or any other disadvantaged groups. For this testing and auditing companies engage persons with respective disabilities as testers.

  • Accountant: An accountant is a professional, who handles financial matters. You can either look for jobs in companies or financial institution firms or choose to become a self-employed professional accountant.

  • BPO / Call Centers / Customer Care: Trained to deal with conversations and customer queries that require listening proficiency, the Customer Care career option is more suitable for the visually challenged. This is a booming sector that has ample opportunity for the visually impaired and blind. Some of the major opening:

    • Domestic Call Centers

    • Data Transmission,

    • MIS or Reporting Position

    • General and Legal Transcriptions

  • Business: Although there have never been so many career options in the workplace for a person who is visually impaired, you have always the option of becoming self-employed. These are hey days for entrepreneurship around the world. Everyone wants to be an entrepreneur. Same is the case with the blind people and visually impaired persons. Success as an entrepreneur is the result of many things. Hard work, patience and persistence are key to success in entrepreneurship.

  • Civil Services: Contrary to common notions, the Civil Services consist of more than IPS, IAS and IFS. It incorporates

    • 20 Group ‘A’ services and

    • 5 Group ‘B’ services

For civil service one has to go through the three-stage selection process

    • Prelim exam

    • Main exam and

    • Interview

  • Counselor: Substance abuse, behavioral disorder and mental health counselors provide treatment and advise people who suffer from alcoholism, drug addiction or other mental or behavioral problems. There is a growing need in the country.

  • Craft and Fine Artist: Many artists work in fine- or commercial-art studios located in office buildings, warehouses, or lofts, while others work in private studios in their homes or share studio space, where they also may exhibit their work.

  • Doctor: Being an MMBS would be anyone's dream. The visually challenged can take up if they have the aptitude.

  • Dietician: This is another booming field for the visually challenged. Requirements are:

    • Preparation – a good qualification

    • Energy level - must be hard-working

    • Experience – willing to learning a lot helps

    • Interactive – communicating well with people

  • Engineering / Architecture: Engineering programs are a suitable option to make a career in Architecture, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Chemical Engineering or in any other type of courses. Engineering students also have high placement rates and have great job opportunities.

  • Finance: Finance has a lot of opportunity in:

    • Stock Market

    • Banking and

    • Financial journalism

One may also take up teaching as a profession or go through financial management courses such as CA (Chartered Accountancy) and ACS (Associate Company Secretary).

  • Fitness Trainer: Teach fitness or nutrition to clients who are looking to get themselves physically fit and healthy. Gyms are in high demand today and many prefer personal trainers too.

  • Food / Smell Taster: If you're a food lover, there are tons of companies that will literally pay you to taste test their products. Companies always look to hire food tasters to determine whether or not their recipes are ready for the public. And, again, because many people believe that, when one sense is lessened, the others are greatened, your sense of taste may be hugely valuable to these companies.

Tasting for smell in tea or perfume industry is another good opportunity.

  • Hospitality: Jobs in the hospitality sector, such as housekeeping, food and beverage, front office, accounts etc. are great opportunities in the hospitality sector. These opportunities are usually customer oriented.

  • IT Sector: There are various jobs to choose from in the IT sector - the main ones being:

    • Programming

    • Quality Analysis

    • Webpage Development

    • System Administrator

    • Translator, etc.

  • Journalism: The key responsibility of a journalist is - effective communication. In this field a person survives on ideas and creativity. Objectivity is important; a good grasp of the language, a socially responsible attitude and a quest for learning is what will take one forward in this career.

  • Law: The various opportunities in the field of law include:

    • drafting of employment contracts, documents,

    • Legal Process Outsourcing,

    • Compliance officers.

One needs to acquire good, valuable experience, having a strong foundation in General Knowledge and communication skills and marketing oneself.

  • Management: Management is the task of managing man, money and machines and allocating them effectively and efficiently. The diverse roles of a manager may include:

  • Marketing and Sales

  • Human Resources

  • Business Development

  • Financial Experts

  • Musician or Singer: There is tough competition for jobs because of the large number of people who are interested in becoming musicians and singers, but it can be a highly lucrative career for those who are musically gifted

  • Physiotherapy: This is another booming sector for the visually impaired that deals with

    • Prevention

    • Treatment and

    • Rehabilitation

of various ailment

Physiotherapy could be practiced at:

    • Government Hospitals

    • Nursing Homes

    • Private Clinics, etc.

As long as one has common sense, communication skills, mobility and proper diagnosing skills, physiotherapy is a promising career.

  • Psychology: Psychology is related to human mind and behavior. Careers such as

    • Human Resource Management

    • Media Management

    • Designing Advertising Campaigns, etc.

require a psychology background. This could help to become a counsellor too.

  • Social Work: Master’s degree in Social Work or Rehabilitation Sciences help work with the disabled people. With an M.Phil or a Ph.D. one could handle projects of international NGOs. A high degree of professionalism is required to work with people from different economic strata.

  • Teaching: Teaching allows people to have comfortable work timing and lets them impart knowledge to children. A number of schools are open to let visually impaired people teach there. Visually impaired people can also help out by teaching other visually impaired children through braille and other techniques. People may also opt for teaching in colleges and universities for which they have to pass two difficult-to-crack tests:

    • NET (National Eligibility test) and

    • SET (State Eligibility Test).

  • Tourism: Tourism is not very conventional and is less opted for vocation. Yet, it has various opportunities:

    • Tourist Guide

    • Translator

    • Interpreter

    • Teaching cultural and language etiquette to students, professionals travelling abroad

If you are blind or visually impaired and considering your career options, the important thing is to consider what type of career interests you have and what aligns with your skillset and education. Your visual impairment should not be a limiting or guiding factor in your career search.

Sources

Further reading

Employment reservations for specially abled

Reservations for persons with disabilities

  • 3% of vacancies against identified posts in Group ‘C’ and Group ‘D’

  • Central Government Ministries, Public Sector Undertaking and Banks.

  • Categories are: Blind, the Deaf and the Orthopedically handicapped (1% in each)

  • Reservation Group 'A' or Group 'B' posts shall be computed on the basis of total number of vacancies occurring in direct recruitment quota

  • Various State and U.T. Governments also provide reservation in jobs for the handicapped persons.

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