Many in our society believe that the disabled cannot do anything, forever remaining a burden to their families, society, and the state. This negative attitude towards disability encompasses the thinking of community developers and decision-makers. Our society perceives disability as an issue of charity instead of recognising it as an issue of rights and development.
Institutional and environmental matters have kept the disability issue from being a priority in the development agenda. The disabled have been dwelling within our society, sapped of confidence, while also being deprived of the existing opportunities and support afforded to others.
They are deprived of basic rights such as education and employment, lacking vocational training and the finance required to be involved in business, and are not being granted access to healthcare, nutrition, sanitation, etc.
However, some disabled persons who seek to break social barriers and go forward are fighting to overcome these adverse situations. At the end of 2013, some disabled individuals from Dhaka city were discussing on how to engage the disabled people in income generation.
Many ideas had arisen from that meeting, which dealt mostly with entrepreneurship development – two of the ideas which were taken under consideration were the establishment of a shoe and a garment factory. Both ideas were challenging because the initiators are disabled and poor, and are living in the slums of Dhaka.
An entrepreneur is someone who undertakes a venture, organises it, raises the capital to finance it, and takes the brunt of the risk. Entrepreneurs are action-oriented and highly motivated individuals who take risks to achieve goals. ADD International took a risk in making disabled individuals into entrepreneurs, seeing as how there are some important characteristics and traits which are essential for entrepreneurial success.
Entrepreneurs who are disabled have no academic qualifications, most of them only pass through the fifth grade, facing financial insolvency, and come from poor families; but they have the vision, leadership capacity, and the confidence required to be entrepreneurs.
A lot of discussions regarding the challenges, drawbacks, and benefits of business are held among the initiators to understand and internalise the various aspect of business.
There are 27 disabled persons who invested Tk20,000 each in starting their business. Differently Shoes, a leather manufacturing firm, was founded in the beginning of 2014 at Dhaka’s Mirpur, and 24 other disabled individuals invested Tk20,000 each into starting Glorious Fashion at Saterkul.
Mr Akter Layek, who cannot walk without using crutches, and Ms Nargis Akter, a visually impaired woman, who are the founders, mobilised 25 other physically and visually impaired persons to constitute the firm.
Prominent companies such as Aarong and Bata have visited Differently Shoes’ factory and have requested them to improve the compliance and factory space. Aarong expressed their satisfaction and have positively responded to their quality products and good working environment.
Presently, 15 disabled workers are working in the factory. Mr Akter says: “We have a dream of having 2,500 disabled workers working in our factory. We want to reach the disabled people who pass their time idly, and turn our disabled population into a resource. It will be fulfilled if retailers such as Aarong stand beside us. We are committed to making quality products, and we try our best.”
Glorious Fashion is a jute bag and garment manufacturing firm. ADD international has been supporting, both technically and financially, these emerging businesses led by disabled people. Everyone has an inherent ability and power within themselves, they just need a favourable environment to blossom.
Differently Shoes and Glorious Fashion prove that when the disabled are enabled, they can contribute well to the economy, given that they get the opportunities and support required.
Entrepreneurship is vital for bringing about changes within the economy and the society, not only in our country, but also in others. We need to develop entrepreneurs both in our rural and urban areas. We need initiators to help people become entrepreneurs. There are vast numbers of people who are disabled and pass their time idly; if they are allowed to receive training and are given the necessary financial support, they can contribute economically to their families and the state.