World Disability Day: NASSCOM to empower PwDs

BANGALORE, INDIA: NASSCOM Foundation, the social development arm of NASSCOM, has upped the ante in empowering and enabling PwDs (Persons with Disabilities) in the IT workforce inclusion.

To mark the world disability day on December 3, 2010, NASSCOM Foundation under its 'Accessibility Initiative' has launched a series of activities across India, with the release of a document on Workplace Inclusivity listing five principles that enable and empower persons with disabilities (PwDs) at the NASSCOM's Diversity & Inclusivity Summit 2010 held in Bangalore on November 22, said a press release.

Rita Soni, CEO, NASSCOM Foundation said, "The Government has a target to ensure that 3 per cent of the workforce should be of PwDs. NASSCOM, through its Accessibility Initiative, is pushing hard to ensure that IT companies create policies, ease physical access to workplaces and use assistive technologies. We will also have job fairs, volunteering and career counseling workshops for persons with disabilities."

NASSCOM Foundation will organise career guidance session titled assistABILITY for persons with disabilities on December 4, 2010 at VRC Chennai. Some of the participating companies are Cognizant, Verizon, Infosys, Polaris, Wipro Infrastructure, UST Global and World Bank.

NASSCOM Foundation will also host employABILITY - a job fair for persons with disabilities on December 10, 2010 at VRC Centre, New Delhi and accessABILITY, a volunteering session in Kolkata for the employees of NASSCOM member companies on the 16th of December, the release added.