Every human being is different and everyone has some or the other talent waiting to be discovered and worked on. And there are many differently abled people in our society with immense ability, who can add to the country’s talent pool.
Aiming at bringing in persons with disabilities (PwDs) across the employment spectrum, the 19th edition of the East Zone Regional Abilympics will be held on August 9 and 10, 2019, at the Indian Institute of Training and Development, Srijani Road, Thakurpukur, Kolkata. Organsed by the National Abilympics Association of India (NAAI), under the aegis of the Sarthak Educational Trust with the support of The Hans Foundation, the Abilympics will be an eye-opener with competitions across a wide spectrum of skills, exclusive job fairs for PwDs and hard-hitting discourses to ensure dignity and self-respect of PwDs in the country.
The Abilympics fever seems unstoppable because, in less than two months, Sarthak and NAAI have reached over 1,000 PwDs across the North, West and South zones, encouraging the idea of celebrating life with all its challenges.
Abilympics tests 10 vocational skills of the participants, including CAD Architecture, Desktop Publishing, Character Designing, e-Sports, Tailoring, Floral Arrangement, Beauty Therapy, Jewellery-Making, Bakery and Cooking categories. The highlight of the Abilympics is the job fair for PwDs, where over 25 companies from the region will be conducting a hiring drive.
To participate in the East Zone Abilympics, candidates in the age group of 18-35 from West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Orissa, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura can send in their entries for skill competitions and the job fair till August 6, 2019. The winners of the National Abilympics will represent India at the International Abilympics, to be held in Russia in 2020.
Dr Jitender Aggrawal, Founder & CEO of the Sarthak Educational Trust, was once a leading dentist in Delhi. But he lost the central vision of both his eyes in his early-30s because of macular degeneration, a leading cause of severe and irreversible visual impairment. However, he did not let his personal disability cripple him and, through his determination and unflinching commitment to the cause of PwDs, he formed the Sarthak Education Trust in 2008. Over the years, Sarthak has trained — and secured lucrative placement for — over 16,000 PwDs across industry segments at its 18 centres in India.
The Kolkata event will also witness a Regional Conference on the subject, Corporate Progression towards Inclusion and Diversity, and will attract participation of corporates, CSR heads, government officials and NGOs, who will discuss the scope of empowering — and providing sustainable economic stability to — PwDs to lead a life of self-reliance and dignity.
Apart from Dr Aggrawal, Krishan Kalra, President, NAAI, and Dr Sudhir Gupta, Vice-President NAAI, will also grace the event.
‘This vital segment of society needs attention’
‘Our aim is to provide vocational skills to differently abled people, enabling them to have successful employment opportunities. Census data shows that the unemployment rate among PwDs is over 63% and every second PwD is illiterate. We can’t continue to ignore this vital segment of society since their empowerment can not only make them self-reliant, but will also tremendously contribute to India’s sagging GDP’
— Dr Jitender Aggrawal, Founder & CEO, Sarthak Educational Trust
‘Empowerment, not charity’
‘Sarthak and the NAAI have been trying to highlight that the nearly 30 million PwDs in the country are looking for jobs and empowerment and not charity, or sympathy. There are many jobs that they can do better than any able-bodied person. This event should help them greatly in their endeavour’
- Krishan Kalra, President, NAAI
How to participate
- Contestants can register for participation at www.abilympicsindia.org., or call 011 4200-4238
- Last date for registration is August 6, 2019
