People and Management March 2019 | Page 13

www.peopleandmanagement.com While some organizations are championing the cause of including the differently abled as a part of their workforce, some are taking massive strides to bridge the gender gap, one of the most talked about, but the least actioned upon area. Ajuba Solutions is one such example. their organization and biased treatment by managers. The sorry state of the PWD employees is also calling for immediate action. Drawing inputs from the Census Study conducted in 2011, even though people with disability constitute a signifi cant 5 to 6 percentage of the population of India, their needs for meaningful employment largely remain unmet. The bleak scenario is, that, of the approximately 70 million persons with disabilities in India, only about 0.1 million have succeeded in getting employment in the industries. But why is the aspect of diversity and inclusion suddenly in the limelight? Truth be told, it has always been an integral part of organizational growth, however, organizations are suddenly waking up to the wonders of cultivating a more inclusive workplace and integrating relevant initiatives into their mainstream agendas. The dawn of the 21st century has opened its ar ms to embrace diversity. Higher levels of transparency, crumbling down of the patriarchal mindset, and exposure to information has provided a strong impetus to the strengthening of diverse workplace culture. Inclusion is not merely talked about, rather, it is documented, tracked, communicated and celebrated. Tony Prophet Shraddhanjali Rao Organizations across the globe, riding on the inclusion wave have proven to be a testament to the wonders of a diverse workforce. Lemon Tree Hotels, one of the largest and most popular hotel chains, made it their mission to tap this unnoticed talent pool by creating a socially inclusive environment at their hotels, by hiring and skilling differently abled individuals as a way to integrate them into the mainstream. Vol. 10 Issue 3 • MARCH 2019, Delhi NCR | 13