Namaskara! This past summer, I had the pleasure to work with a highly esteemed non-profit organization, Swami Vivekananda Youth Movement (SVYM), in India. The focus of my project was to analyze the various barriers to employment for people with disabilities under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, a project I led from the regional hospital in the Sargur Taluk. By analyzing the percentages and demographics, among other variables, on district-wide medical databases, I identified local individuals with locomotor disabilities, calling attention to patterns of how their livelihoods played a factor on their employment status. My findings indicated that inaccessibility to the worksite, lack of recruitment outreach for PWD, and gender-based social constraints each played major roles in the success of the search for employment. I presented my research in meetings for the hospital staff to enhance understanding of personal impact when advocating for PWD in their correspondence with government agencies.
My experience with working for SVYM has shaped how I go forward in my studies in the Industrial and Labor Relations school, as having this first-hand experience has molded my passion in learning about labor relations, employment law, and workers' rights. These three main areas of focus will help create a foundation to build an acute understanding of how prospective employer practices may improve employment outcomes for people with disabilities. This upcoming Fall, I plan to further investigate the ways in which government intervention can assist in providing paid work to disabled laborers through an independent study. It was a true privilege and honor to work with a nonprofit who’s mission and methods speak to my core values and aspirations for the betterment of our future society. I hope to continue my work in the push for disability justice through nonprofits that share similar morals the way SVYM executives their investment of building human capital in South India.
