New Delhi, May 15: courier company in Mumbai which employs only deaf workers is playing a major role in changing social perception that those who can not hear need charity to survive.
iming to empower those with hearing impaired who are unable to land jobs due to social stigmas the company Mirakle Couriers has been offering a pick up and delivery service in Mumbai.
Spa services by the blind, courier delivery by deaf and coffee outlet jobs for the deaf and dumb – growing individual efforts have been seen to help the disabled community in India riding on their will power and hard work to carve a niche for themselves in a space dominated by the general population.
Established by a former investment banker Dhruv Lakra in 2008, Mirakle Couriers currently employs 55 deaf staffers.
“I found myself on a bus one day sitting next to a boy who was deaf and realised he had difficulty knowing where to get off since all the stop announcements were made on the loud speaker. The massive communication barrier for deaf people makes everything extremely hard,” Lakra told PTI.
The idea of starting a courier service was conceived as it is something which does not require verbal communication with the end customer.
“You can help a blind walking with a stick as you can see their disability but you can not know whether or not a person is deaf until you talk to him. His disability is invisible,” says Lakra.
Schools for the deaf were handy in choosing for early placements but once the word got around in the deaf community, Lakra began to see a surge in job applicants whom he promptly interviewed and chose suitable persons. Women take up the back office work while field work is left to the men.
Training and communication is done completely in Indian sign language.
Similarly, coffee chain, Costa Coffee employ deaf and dumb workers in its outlets in Delhi and Gurgaon. One of the outlets in Gurgaon is entirely run by a staff of eight specially-abled employees.
“It’s part of our corporate social responsibility. These people are very good in observation. They are keen to outperform others and prove their ability,” says Balpreet Grover, HR, Costa Coffee. Lunch time is the rush-hour at the outlet and they do face some problems, but, they are improving with each day,” she adds.
Also, Metta Spa in Mumbai employs visually challenged to provide foot reflexology massages. The Blossom Kochhar Spa and Salon division in Delhi trains visually challenged and the deaf and dumb.
“These people are excellent. If they lack in one thing, they make up in the other. One of them has opened his own saloon in Faridabad,” says Blossom Kochhar. One of her disabled trainees (deaf and dumb) won second place in a haircutting competition in Mumbai.
Joanita Figueiredo, a trained yoga teacher and reflexologist started Metta Spa after the visually challenged students trained by her failed to get jobs.
“Nobody was willing to employ them. Earlier they worked as telephone operators but mobile phones took away their jobs,” she says. “These people are hundred times better than sighted reflexologists. I call them healers. They can concentrate more and have a direct connection with the customers,” she says.
However, the ride is always not smooth and there can be bumpy experiences on some days.
Rinku Singh, a courier delivery boy who takes care of a family of seven. “Badly written addresses are hard to find, security guards give us difficulties in locating buildings and in some cases, people have shifted and not notified the billing company.”
“We have however learnt to live with these small problems as they are part and parcel of the duty,” he adds. On time delivery and professional attitude of the staff has worked wonders for the company which has led many big corporates to rope in its services.
According to a World Bank report released in 2008, disabled in India are more vulnerable than those hailing from backward castes due to negative mindsets in the society. The employment of people with disability fell from 43 per cent in 1991 to 38 per cent in 2002 despite India’s strong economic growth, it says.
Physical accessibility in buildings, transportation and services remain unavailable because even though guidelines exist for disabled-friendly buildings, they are rarely followed, adds the World Bank report.
People in general have been found to be supportive of such efforts.
“The response has been great. Our clients are usually very excited about us. They are amazed that we deliver on time and with a highly professional attitude. Our boys are kind, well mannered and well dressed,” says Lakra who runs the courier service.
“We have customers who specially visit us due to superb-healing touch by my healers,” says Jenny.
In 2008, India signed and ratified UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities which asks signing states to enforce a policy that will give all people with disabilities the right to find a job without discrimination.
“Instead of being given the opportunity to earn a living in India, we hear about the struggles endured by disabled people as they spend months and years of searching for a source of income, ultimately, left with no choice but to give up and stay at home – helpless and dependent,” says Lakra who plans to expand to other metros like Delhi, Bangalore, Calcutta and Chennai in future.
“The assumption is, if you are disabled, your fate line stops at a bad working condition job or some charity work by the government.
Presenting them with a real professional opportunity is a miracle for their lives. We spell Mirakle with a K because we like to highlight that we are different,” adds Lakra with a smile.
–PTI