New Delhi, Sep 13 (FN Agency) The National Centre for Promotion of Employment for Disabled People (NCPEDP) has announced the 25th edition of the NCPEDP Helen Keller Awards, inviting nominations from across India, a statement said on Friday. For a quarter of a century, these prestigious awards have spotlighted individuals, organizations, and entrepreneurs who have made exemplary contributions towards creating equal employment opportunities for Persons with Disabilities (PWDs). Arman Ali, Executive Director of NCPEDP, said this year the entries have been invited in six categories: Role Model Persons with Disabilities; Role Model Supporter of Employment Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities; Role Model Companies/Institutions/Organizations; Role Model Entrepreneurs with Disabilities; Role Model Media Award for Disability-Inclusive Journalism and NCPEDP Helen Keller Lifetime Achievement Award.
Ali said, “We urge everyone, from corporates to individuals, to nominate those who have made a real difference and help us build an even stronger movement toward disability inclusion.” Among the many past awardees, companies including Infosys, State Bank of India, Bharat Petroleum, Tata Motors, Amazon, Dell, Cisco, Titan, Hindustan Petroleum, Tata Tea Limited, IBM, TVS, and Mphasis. Reflecting on this significant milestone, Ali said: “Reaching the 25th year of the NCPEDP Helen Keller Awards is a proud moment for all of us. These awards have been a pioneer in guiding and inspiring individuals and organisations to make the workplace more inclusive.” The awards were instituted after a survey conducted by NCPEDP revealed alarming data: less than 1% of disabled individuals were employed in India’s public, private, or multinational sectors, he said. However, according to the most recent data from the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, at the national level, 36% of people with disabilities are employed. This is a significant improvement from where we started, but we still have a long way to go., Ali said.