Empowering people with disabilities through creativity and skill development

Embracing equity and inclusion, Ashray Akruti, has been working in the area of education and healthcare for the hearing-impaired community in Telangana. We aim to empower people with disabilities and the underprivileged with our services.

Our journey began by serving five hearing impaired children. Over the years, we have witnessed the growing prevalence of hearing impairment in India. This has propelled us to expand our services and cater to a wider audience.

Today, our organization has grown, and we offer a range of services to individuals of all ages, from new-borns to adults. As a stepping-stone, we have launched the Multimedia and Animation Training Centre for Divyangjans in 2010.

The goal has been to empower hearing impaired youth (18-30 age) in the field of Multimedia and Animation, to foster their skills in graphic designing, visual effects, animation and financial management. This free residential training program aims to instil creative expression and inculcate valuable skills.

This training program is unique and one of its kind in India for hearing-impaired youth. The initiative supports and nurtures young minds. The goal is to help them explore their creativity and gain skills for careers in the fields of design and animation. We believe that their potential creativity is a powerful tool for their personal and professional growth. The motivation to start this centre came from our experience of working with people with disabilities. We observed lack of opportunities for them in the mainstream job market.

Our training program has a team of experienced technical faculty, expert Sign Language Interpreters, a project coordinator and a placement officer. The whole team contributes toward creating a supportive learning environment for our students.

Multimedia and Animation Training Centre for Divyangjans provides training in software such as Adobe-Photoshop, After Effects, Illustrator, Premier Pro and Silhouette. It helps the students learn graphic designing and visual effects. Additionally, it offers classes in Indian Sign Language (ISL), as not all hearing-impaired persons are aware of it, and often have their own sign languages. By teaching them ISL during the training, we help them with continuous learning, and skills related to communication and interpersonal relationships, with respect to communicating with their peers.

During the course, students also learn financial management, English, MS Office, and skills related to motivation, personality development, interviews and resume writing. This operation commenced with a modest group of students and trainers. However, over the years, we have been able to scale up the program.

By the end of the training, the students are placed in relevant sectors with the help of the placement officer. Alumni have been able to obtain gainful employment with many visual effects & photo studios.

These include organizations such as Gemini FX, Sri Sarathi Studios, Prasad Effects, Janata Digital Lab and Colors Digital Press. They have also been able to obtain jobs with the graphic designing departments of many e-commerce giants.

Till date, we have trained 750 hearing-impaired students, and placed 345 of them in relevant job roles. This training program also bridges the communication gap between prospective employers and our hearing-impaired students. We do this with the help of our Sign Language Interpreter (SLI) through regular follow-ups and counselling.

It is heartening to learn that companies are now eager to hire more students from our centre for their workforce. Companies have shown their support by providing funding and mentoring.

Our students have become high performers in many companies. Take, for instance, our alumna Habeeb, a 19-year-old girl who hails from an underprivileged family. She has secured a position as a Roto Artist at Sri Sarathi Studios after completing our program. She is now financially independent, and supports her family as well.

Similarly, Stevenson, one of our students, was orphaned and has hearing impairment and night blindness. He has defied the odds. He is now a successful Graphic Designer at Photo Express.

Our approach to multimedia and animation training has changed the lives of our students for the better. It has been able to challenge conventional notions about what is possible for individuals with disabilities.

Through this commitment to breaking down barriers and promoting equal opportunities, Multimedia and Animation Training Centre for Divyangjans has become an example of what can be achieved when creativity, passion and dedication come together.

Commitment to the global goals

The initiative of ‘Multimedia and Animation Training Centre for Divyangjans’ aligns with several United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Goal 1: no poverty

Through our multimedia and animation programs, we empower aspiring individuals from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. By equipping them with industry-relevant skills and knowledge, we provide them with enhanced economic opportunities. We have successfully trained and placed talented students who previously faced financial hardships. This has enabled them to break the cycle of poverty and build a more prosperous future.

Goal 8: decent work and economic growth

Our work in multimedia and animation contributes to decent work and economic growth by creating job opportunities for our students. Upon completing our programs, they gain access to a diverse range of employment options as graphic designers, animators, visual effects artists, etc. They become financially independent. This enables them to contribute to the country’s GDP.

Goal 10: reduced inequalities

We are dedicated to reducing inequalities by providing equal access to education and employment opportunities in the field of multimedia and animation. We prioritize inclusion by welcoming students from diverse socio-economic backgrounds. We actively contribute to reducing income and wealth disparities. We firmly believe that everyone should have an equal opportunity to pursue their passion and excel in the multimedia industry.