the 70-member team (61 men and 9 women) will soon begin work at India’s first dedicated call centre employing the physically disabled, on the NASEOH premises in Chembur.
Until four months ago, Rajeev Mehta, a resident of Ghatkopar (W), stood on his crutches, manning a lemon juice stall for 12 hours every day, despite the fact that he had studied till Std XI and received training in basic computer operations from city-based National Society for Equal Opportunities for the Handicapped (NASEOH). “A job at a call centre was impossible, as they accept only HSC-passed candidates,” says Rajeev, 30.
Today, he is part of a 70-member team (61 men and 9 women) who will soon begin work at India’s first dedicated call centre employing the physically disabled, on the NASEOH premises in Chembur. The centre will answer queries and register complaints of consumers based in north India, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. Once the call centre is fully operational with 120 employees, it is expected to cater to about 10,000 customer calls in a day.
Called EuroAble, the call centre has been set up by consumer appliances company Eureka Forbes in association with NASEOH and was inaugurated on Thursday.
Another employee, 22-year-old Sadhna Jagadale from Govandi, eagerly conversed with the press to practise her English. “We’ve been trained to speak fluently. Our grammar has improved and we feel a lot more confident,” she says, adding that what she likes best is that she will be able to continue her education while making a living. “We’ve been told that we must all keep studying until we complete our graduation. Our work shifts will be adjusted so that this is possible,” she says.
Despite the fact that job opportunities for the physically disabled have marginally improved since a decade ago, choices are limited. “Several parents give their disabled children the best of therapy and all the education they can afford. It is difficult for us to see them unable to find jobs that match their capabilities and interests,” explains a parent of one of the employees.
“Last year, we set up a five-seater outbound calling centre at NASEOH. The response was so positive that we decided to scale it up. We would like other companies to follow our lead,” said Shapoor Mistry, chairman, Eureka Forbes. Mistry added that he has plans to expand the concept to other cities.
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