Typical buildings in most B-schools and corporate offices (even those of international companies) are not constructed keeping in mind their special requirements- uneven patterned floor for the visually challenged, ramps for physically challenged, etc. Therefore it is no surprise that a mundane thing like going to class or office becomes such an insurmountable obstacle for most of the disabled people and leads to their apparent absence. As Stella Young points out in her popular TED talk, “…no amount of positive thinking turns a flight of stairs into a ramp…”
Thus, the absence of disabled people in my college or that in the corporate world is no surprise; it is no surprise that during my internship in an international banking giant, I did not see even one physically challenged employee- not to mention I could hardly see any ramps. Clearly, the need of the hour is to sensitize the corporate world about the sheer practical requirement of having disabled friendly infrastructure and that it makes business sense too-since this group of people is an untapped pool of talent. It is time that we enable this segment of our population. This will not only make our societies and workplaces more integrated but also more equitable.
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