DIGITAL INCLUSION OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES!
With our tagline of “Empowering the Differently Abled”, Elegant IT Limited has set out to bring the power of tech to the most disadvantaged group of people: people with disabilities. An estimate of 16 million people suffer from disabilities in Bangladesh who are prone to harassment, abuse, discrimination and such forms of social abuse, especially in rural areas. These group of people are often neglected and only receive opportunities to perform trivial tasks to earn a living. Finding suitable training programs to develop their knowledge and skills with the hope of securing reputable employment opportunities is only a dream for many.
Through persistent trials, Elegant IT Limited has compiled an inclusive program which provides people with disability a chance to cultivate their digital skills and contribute to their families and communities through sustainable work opportunities. We view the disabled community as an invaluable resource that can significantly grow our nation’s economy. It is estimated that loss in income pear year is around US $1.18 billion which is approximately 1.74% of GDP. However, there are 1.145 million physically disabled people around the age of 20-50 years who are perfectly eligible to join the workforce. Considering this pool of untapped resource can significantly change these circumstances and build communities to contribute to the development of Bangladesh.
We designed our courses for the disabled by assessing their needs and interests. From our surveys, we discovered that persons with disabilities have immense potential which they were unaware of. Their enthusiasm in learning digital skills was greater as they were looking for opportunities to develop their career. Targeting the families and communities of persons with disabilities, we conducted awareness campaigns and counseling sessions to instill faith in them of achieving respectable employment opportunities by nurturing their digital skills. Many of our beneficiaries who completed our trainings program are offering services using our online job platform and exceptional candidates have become trainers for these programs which has inspired many to join our courses.
Over 10,000 disabled people have engaged with us till now who have benefitted from our programs and found a new meaning to life. Keeping in mind the adverse challenges they face, our projects were designed to engage influential members and policymakers of communities to ensure feasible pathways for our beneficiaries to follow their dreams. Through our stream of international leaders and change makers, we have influenced organizations, businesses, governments and communities to share our common goal to contribute to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal on reducing inequalities.