CSR: Ability in Disability
Disability in India is looked down upon. The people with disability are often considered weak which is why they often lack the opportunity to prove otherwise. In India out of the 121 Cr population, 2.68 Cr persons are disabled which is 2.21% of the total population. This is a huge number of people to ignore them as invalids.
People with disability often have many other talents that would make up for their disability and help them lead a normal life. However, the employers do not consider this and often prefer to not hire Persons with Disability as their Employees.
In order to fight the stigma around this and promote inclusive hiring, DViO Digital, has put together a campaign #EverydayAbility on behalf of Firefox Bikes showcasing the potential of Persons with Disability (PWD). The campaign focuses on the capabilities of every individual to be able to get through an average day and promote the messaging of ‘With all our differences and our similarities, we have the will, the ability to adapt and conquer each day’.
As a part of a national campaign the organizations kick-started the on-ground campaign with a wall-climbing activity in Goregaon, Mumbai. The event witnessed the participation from Firefox riders and Persons with Disability performing adventure sports together.
Now in its second year, the #EverydayAbility campaign continues to dispel misconceptions surrounding Persons with Disability (PWDs), proving that disability is not an impediment to adventure. Through the campaign, the duo hopes to facilitate both systemic and individual change – for greater participation of PWDs in regular workforce.
Leading by example, at the end of last year’s campaign, Firefox Bikes have hired Persons with Disability in their own workforce and will continue inclusive & diversity hiring across the organization this year. Through this campaign, the organization will motivate their partners, dealers, and other corporates to consider inclusive hiring. This initiative has also introduced hiring practice training & process changes necessary for diversity hiring at the workplace for Firefox Bikes.
“#EverydayAbility is an initiative which hopes to build an ecosystem grounded in the principles of dialogue, acceptance, and equality of all. Through this campaign, we hope to facilitate systemic and individual change,” said Sowmya Iyer- CEO and Founder, DViO Digital.
This year, #EverydayAbility will be conducting events across Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Chennai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, and Delhi. These events would witness activities such as inclusive para-motoring, rock climbing, water sports, rappelling, and trekking. The brand aims to deepen its engagement with NGOs and social impact organizations working to empower PWDs in each of the cities, in the process engaging the Firefox Riders & Dealers in each city with this eye-opening initiative. The campaign series has previously taken place in Gurgaon, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai, and Hyderabad.
Thank you for reading the story until the very end. We appreciate the time you have given us. In addition, your thoughts and inputs will genuinely make a difference to us. Please do drop in a line and help us do better.
Regards,
The CSR Journal Team
