Awards that redefine the potential and perception of persons with disabilities
On the 10th of December, the 11 Awardees of the NCPEDP- Mindtree Helen Keller Awards 2020 were felicitated virtually as a recognition of their exemplary work towards furthering employment opportunities for persons with disabilities.
The Helen Keller Awards were instituted back in 1999, to start a discourse on equal opportunities for persons with disabilities in the area of employment. Over years, with more and more outreach and awareness, these awards have not only acknowledged the Role Models of Inclusion at Workplace but in the process have inadvertently sensitized organizations and people involved to build an inclusive environment for people with disabilities wherein they are mainstreamed, adapted, and are growing to their potential, supported with several nuances of reasonable accommodations.
This year, eleven awardees were recognised during the ceremony under three different categories on Human Rights Day to drive home the message of employment and economic empowerment as a fundamental right of all people.
“Mindtree as an organization deeply resonates with equality, respect, and potential of every individual. We have always strived to create a culture of inclusion, both internally and externally. Through the Helen Keller Awards, we aim to recognize exceptional work done by corporates and individuals towards promoting employment opportunities for people with disabilities in India”, said Paneesh Rao, Chief People Officer, Mindtree. “We are extremely pleased to partner with NCPEDP to honor and recognize the unsung heroes. We congratulate the Awardees and NCPEDP for all their efforts in spearheading this critical initiative that provides equal opportunities for people with disabilities.”
The Guest of Honor, Ms. Arundhati Bhattacharya Chairperson & CEO Salesforce (India) in a discussion with Mr. Som Mittal, NCPEDP Board Chairman said “One area that all companies should look at is to find ways in which the abilities of persons with disabilities can get utilized. If we use persons with disabilities as wallflowers, it becomes a lose-lose situation, for the company and the employee”
Speaking at the occasion, Mr. Saurabh Chandra, Trustee NCPEDP said, “The Rights of Persons with Disabilities is one of the strongest disability legislations in the world however problem lies in the implementation of this act due to reasons like lack of understanding, awareness, or maybe because of a belief that providing jobs to people with disabilities comes at a high cost and this mindset need to be changed.” He went on to add that as the Government and Private Sector plan for the new normal, in the aftermath of the pandemic, people with disabilities, temporary disabilities, and the elderly that consist of approximately 25% of the population of India must be represented and their voices heard.
In his closing remarks, Mr. Som Mittal, industry doyen and Chairman NCPEDP, referred to NCPEDP’s status report on the Covid19 pandemic and highlighted the myriad of challenges-the consequences of the Covid19 pandemic-on persons with disabilities like Access to finance, pension, healthcare facilities, transport, and livelihood. He further said, Leaving no one behind is the key to a resilient and sustainable society thus actions must be prioritized as per the most marginalized”.
Mr. Arman Ali, Executive Director, NCPEDP said “With Helen Keller Awards we celebrate the leadership of people with disabilities and equal opportunity employers. They are showing everyone the way by including disability into businesses and beyond their call of duty. In this new normal, it’s all about diversity and of the winners and is no longer limited to big cities”.
Over 104 applications were received from 16 states across the country and even overseas. This year, as a part of the outreach, NCPEDP targeted role models especially from tier 2 and tier 3 cities of India, who have silently been doing path-breaking work to achieve this cause. The jury for this prestigious award comprised of Saurabh Chandra, Trustee NCPEDP; Abraham Moses, General Manager & Good Samaritan, Mindtree Ltd; Ira Singhal, Joint Director Dept of Social Welfare, Delhi Government and Deepak Ghaisas, Chairman, Gencoval Strategic Services Pvt Ltd.
Awardees include, among others, Ajay Minocha, the first visually impaired person from India to receive CFA Charter from CFA Institute, USA, and Kartik Sawhney, the first-ever visually impaired student to study science in India who made news when he was refused admission to IIT on account of his disability but excelled at Stanford University and today works as an AI Scientist at Microsoft.
Sawhney said, “It is an honor to be recognized by an organization such as NCPEDP which redefines the potential and perception of people with disabilities.”
Awardees under all Categories:
Category A: Role Model Persons with Disabilities:
Persons with Disabilities from within the disability sector and outside who have been active as ambassadors of the cause of employment for persons with disabilities and are a positive role model for others.
1. Ammu Mohan: Senior Process Analyst, Refinitiv India Shared Services Private Limited
2. Kartik Sawhney: AI Scientist at Microsoft, Co-Founder, and CEO at I-Stem
3. Ajay Minocha: Senior Credit Risk Analyst/ Credit Officer, Deutsche Bank
4. Kiran Nayak: Secretary, Karnataka Vikalachetanara Samasthe (KVS)
Category B: Role Model Supporter of Increased Employment Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities: Individuals from within the disability sector or outside who have contributed substantially to the cause of promoting employment opportunities for persons with disabilities over an extended period of time.
1. Bhavesh C Bhatia: Founder and President, Oshonic Vision for the Blind Welfare Society (Regd. NGO)
2. Ranjan Banerjee: General Manager, Crowne Plaza Today New Delhi Okhla
3. Dr. Surender Mohan Gupta: Global Chief People Officer, Aegis Customer Support Services Private Limited (a Startek Company
Category C: Role Model Companies/NGOs/Institutions:
Organizations from the disability sector or outside who have shown their commitment towards promoting equal employment opportunities for persons with disabilities.
1. Atma Nirbhar-Ek Challenge, Guwahati, Assam
2. Rehabilitation and Aids Workshop by Women with Disability (RAWWD), Bangalore, Karnataka
3. Chhanv Foundation, Noida, U.P
4. Nukkad Tea Cafe Ventures LLP, Raipur, Chhattisgarh
