Hiring is just the first step towards inclusion

Persons with disabilities and those from marginalized groups need mentors and a supportive environment to grow in their careers

- Reem Khokhar

Despite having conversations around diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) throughout 2024 and new year trends reports reiterating its importance, India Inc. is still looking for ways to build healthy, inclusive workplace cultures where everyone can do their best work.

Delhi-based disability rights lawyer and inclusion specialist Tapas Bharadwaj, 28, who is visually impaired, has, in the recent past, noticed greater efforts by organizations to hire persons with disabilities (PwDs) but he believes there is still some way to go for true inclusion.

Sometimes people at work or events have walked past him without saying hello, thinking he would not notice, Bharadwaj says as an example of the absence of empathy and inclusivity in Indian offices.

In its 2023 BLISS (Bias-Free, Leadership, Inclusion, Safety and Support) Index, which measures employees’ feelings of inclusion, Boston Consulting Group found that those with disabilities felt decreased inclusion levels (three points lower), and were 1.5 times more likely to have experienced workplace discrimination than colleagues without disabilities or health conditions. The findings were based on responses from over 27,000 employees across 16 countries, including India, Australia, Brazil, China, Denmark, France, Germany, Spain, Sweden, the UK and the US.

Hiring persons with disabilities and from marginalized groups is a start but without communication, empathy and understanding from other colleagues, individuals can feel excluded.

Some companies, however, are making attempts to cultivate a more inclusive and respectful culture.

BRIDGING THE GAP

Restaurant chain KFC India launched a training programme in September last year for the entire workforce, over 17,000 employees, in their restaurants and corporate offices in the country to learn the basics of Indian Sign Language (ISL).