Sirisha KV suffers from extreme osteogenesis imperfecta, a genetic dysfunction that causes bones to turn into brittle.. The situation required somebody to assist the 36-year-old girl out of her automotive and right into a wheelchair to achieve her workplace in Chittoor, Andhra Pradesh. This illness could make bones extra vulnerable to fractures, so care should all the time be taken whereas transferring.
“My workplace is generally flat and there may be an elevator, however once I arrive at work I need assistance going to the toilet and transferring to a wheelchair. My firm already has assist employees in place to assist folks with disabilities, and one among them was assigned to assist me,” Sirisha stated.
Sirisha emphasised that these cheap lodging at work make her job simpler, including that she by no means feels confused at work. “These environments helped me attain my full potential,” she stated.
What’s an affordable lodging?
Beneath the Rights of Individuals with Disabilities Act 2016, ‘cheap lodging’ refers to mandatory and acceptable changes made to allow an individual with a incapacity to take pleasure in their rights on an equal foundation with others.
This month marks 9 years because the legislation was enacted, and folks with disabilities say some progress has been made in offering cheap lodging. They level out that the personal sector is proactive in introducing cheap lodging within the office, which improves the standard of life and psychological well being of individuals with disabilities.
For Akshata Mali, a 29-year-old visually impaired employee from Maharashtra, changes made at her personal sector office included making a low-light part of the workplace, minimizing direct lighting, and putting in bigger screens. All of this helped her work to the most effective of her potential, keep targeted and contribute to the group extra successfully. “For me, lodging aren’t particular remedy; they merely create an surroundings the place I can do my finest work,” she added.
R. Srinvasan, 37, who’s deaf, needed signal language interpreters, Zoom conferences with transcripts and cameras, and Microsoft Groups chats to assist him get work finished. “My colleagues had been very supportive and understanding of my wants,” he stated.
One other worker, Roshan (title modified upon request), who was recognized with attention-deficit/hyperactivity dysfunction (ADHD), recollects that the corporate gave him an accountability associate. Roshan stated government dysfunction, a symptom of an invisible dysfunction, disrupts the mind’s potential to manage ideas, feelings and conduct, requiring the pliability of working from residence and noise-cancelling headphones. “I used to be given a accountable associate from the start, however now, because of medication, I not want this consideration,” he stated.
Amar Jain, a company lawyer and accessibility knowledgeable, stated the personal sector has developed acceptable pointers for cheap lodging. “Accessibility is one thing everybody has to actively work in direction of, however cheap lodging is about enabling folks with disabilities to operate on the identical degree as everybody else. Multinational firms are doing very effectively on this space,” he stated.
Improved bodily and psychological well being
Okay. Subha, senior marketing consultant, normal medication, Cauvery Hospital, Chennai, identified that power stress will help in some ways, together with within the battle in opposition to lifestyle-related illnesses akin to diabetes and hypertension, if an individual can work with out stressing in regards to the results of labor, as power stress is a threat issue for each and luxury in workers will increase their sense of well-being.
Lakshmi Venkatraman, a psychiatrist on the Schizophrenia Analysis Basis (SCARF) in Chennai, stated high quality of life and psychological well being at work will be considerably improved when cheap lodging are made. “From versatile working hours to a welcoming surroundings, these lodging not solely correlate with elevated productiveness, but in addition imply workers with disabilities are extra seemingly to stick with your organization for longer,” she stated.
Analysis exhibits there’s a robust hyperlink between funds and psychological well being, and whereas monetary pressure can impression psychological well being, monetary independence can enhance psychological well being outcomes, and consultants say offering cheap lodging is important to enabling folks with disabilities to achieve their full potential within the office.
Sandhya Ramesh, Head of Range, Fairness and Inclusion at Godrej Shopper Merchandise Restricted, stated the corporate has been engaged on strengthening its methods for folks with disabilities for over two years. “We all the time give them an extension if they’re relocating from different cities or states and assist them discover disability-friendly lodging. For the hearing-impaired, we have now put in lights within the alarm system on the Chengalpattu manufacturing unit and in addition launched vibrating security clocks,” she stated. Along with having a full-time signal language interpreter, the corporate has appointed a liaison to boost worker consciousness about disabilities and guarantee extra wants are met.
what you’ll want to do
Nevertheless, the federal government sector is lagging behind. “As there are not any pointers concerning cheap lodging, there might not be a liaison officer to think about the wants of individuals with disabilities. There may be additionally a lack of expertise about it. There must be robust understanding between workers and employers and bureaucratic bottlenecks have to be eliminated to make sure that workers have entry to such cheap lodging,” Jain identified.
P. Rajasekharan, co-founder of v-sesh, a corporation that gives recruitment providers for incapacity inclusion, believes that is as a result of angle of these in cost. “In lots of circumstances, group leaders at work have to be delicate to making sure that individuals with disabilities are capable of carry out their jobs appropriately. Actually, if they’re keen, they will accommodate their cheap requests,” he stated.
Echoing these sentiments, Raghuraman Kalyanaraman, an assistant professor on the Authorities Faculty of Arts in Nandanam, Chennai, stated that such lodging ought to first be seen as a method for folks to work to the most effective of their talents. “This isn’t charity. This isn’t a quota to be met. Folks with disabilities have confirmed time and time once more that they will work with out cheap lodging. However these lodging are mandatory to offer them with the very best surroundings to work stress-free.”
issued – December 20, 2025 10am IST
