We are the dreamers of a better world. A world without barriers. A world where being disabled does not automatically equate with being disadvantaged… where words like “empathy” and “empowerment” forever replace “pity” and “neglect”… where access in every sense and equitable opportunities are the norm. A world where every person is judged only on individual merit, strength and character. A world where every disability – be it physical, intellectual or psychological, is accepted as a diversity to be respected and accommodated.
Established in 1995, Ability Foundation works for the empowerment, integration and rights of people with disabilities. With mainstreaming and inclusion as its constant theme, the Foundation has initiated a slew of innovative programmes that aim at total inclusion of people with disabilities. For us at Ability Foundation, disability is an issue that concerns the rights of people.
Success & ABILITY
“Success & ABILITY” – India’s innovative quarterly magazine on disability issues, is published by Ability Foundation. It aims to inform, inspire and interest readers from all sectors of society, even while focussing on persons with disabilities. The magazine thus becomes a bridge between the worlds of persons with and without disabilities and is aimed at being a powerful representative in the media, for all issues concerning people with disabilities.
Click here to see the highlights of the latest issue.
Radio Programme
Information dissemination is a prime area of focus at Ability Foundation – through our Publishing Wing and Media Wing. The power of the radio, despite the strides of all other electronic media, continues to dominate as an extremely stunning medium for information dissemination. In Year 2002, Ability Foundation, in collaboration with All India Radio (Chennai) initiated what was, at that time, a major breakthrough in disability related information dissemination. What began as a pilot project for 6 months became such a popular weekly programme that it continued for over five years. This addressed the widespread need for channelising people towards proper guidance, and counters the paucity of information on disability issues. We continued in a similar vein through our weekly programme on “World Space” Satellite Radios on their “Moksha” station. The vital need to inform, interest and inspire in the right way, generating optimism, idealism and hope, formed the gist of the hour-long weekly broadcasts called “Celebrating Diversity”.
Employment Wing
Ensuring equitable employment opportunities for persons with disabilities has been the focus of Ability Foundation’s Employment wing. On the one hand, to sensitise employers about the need to offer unbiased, equal opportunity employment, placing candidates with disability on par with others. On the other, working with qualified persons with disabilities to enhance their employment opportunities according to current market needs.
Our experience over the last ten years working with employers and job seekers with disabilities has demonstrated two undeniable truths. One, there is exceptional market-essential qualification among people with disabilities. Two, companies that are positive about disabled persons represent a wide domain of industries and services. More and more business concerns have now begun to view qualified people with disabilities as a valuable human resource potential and recognise the fact that they can no longer ignore this human capital.
EmployABILITY
The singular success of the Foundation’s Employment Wing was in sensitising leading corporates from every industry, to offer unbiased, equal opportunity employment and to comprehend the advantages of placing candidates with disabilities on par with others. We decided to expand this know-how to a wider segment of candidates and companies.
Thus was born “EmployABILITY”, the trend setting job opportunities fair bringing together qualified people with disabilities and informed corporates. An annual event since it was first held in 2004, EmployABILITY has had remarkable success in bringing together discerning employers and qualified persons with disabilities and making possible interviews held with sensitivity, focusing on merit alone.
Our EmployABILITY job fairs have been extremely successful in demonstrating that there is no dearth for qualified job seekers among persons with disabilities. What is needed is a level playing field, sans bias.
Registered Office:
27, Fourth Main Road, Gandhi Nagar, Adyar,
Chennai – 600 020
Tamil Nadu. India
Administrative Office:
26, Second Cross Street, Gandhi Nagar, Adyar,
Chennai – 600 020
Tamil Nadu. India
Telephone Numbers:
91 44 24452400
91 44 24413013
Fax:
91 44 24413013
E-mail:
Jayshree Raveendran(Founder, Managing Trustee and Honorary Executive Director)
– j.raveendran@abilityfoundation.org
C. K. Ranganathan – ability@abilityfoundation.org
Leela Swamy – ability@abilityfoundation.org
Dr. M. Thangavelu – ability@abilityfoundation.org
Revathy – revathy@abilityfoundation.org
S. Krishnaswamy (Advisor) – jobs@abilityfoundation.org
Janaki Pillai (Director – Operations) – janakipillai@abilityfoundation.org
Bharathi Sekhar (Deputy Director) – bharathi.sekhar@abilityfoundation.org
Editor, Success & ABILITY – magazine@abilityfoundation.org
Employment Wing – jobs@abilityfoundation.org
Publishing Wing – magazine@abilityfoundation.org
Information Wing – information@abilityfoundation.org
Subscription/Advertisements – magazine@abilityfoundation.org
Location Map: