Atypical Advantage
Atypical Advantage is an employment website for people with disabilities in India.[1] It aims at creating income-generating opportunities for disabled people with conditions such as learning disability, Asperger syndrome, autism, fragile X syndrome, spinal cord injury, locomotor disability, hearing and visual impairment, Down syndrome, and muscular dystrophy[2][3] who would like to work as singers, dancers, masseuses, voiceover artistes, painters, photographers and other 16 categories.[4][5] It works with corporations to increase the representation of people with disabilities in the workforce.[6][7]
History
[edit]It was founded by Indian Institute of Management Bangalore (IIMB) alumnus Vineet Saraiwala,[8] who has retinitis pigmentosa which causes loss of eyesight with the passage of time.[9][4] His own experiences led him to start the platform.[10][11]
Industry background
[edit]It works in three sections: "Talent," "Art," and "Store."[1] The "Talent" section, provides job-matching services between disabled individuals and employers. It has formed partnerships with companies, including Amazon, Pepperfry, Tata Consultancy Services, Flipkart and Hindustan Unilever.[12][13] The "Art" section enables disabled individuals to offer their services in performing arts, visual arts and freelancers[14] while the "Store" section, allows them to sell products directly.[1][4]
Social events and initiatives
[edit]- Portrait Perfect Valentine initiative in 2021 featured eight artists with disabilities from across India. In this drive, people could choose from these artists to get their custom portraits.[15]
- Celebrated Freedom for All event, hosted by Pepperfry invited 10 disabled artists from Atypical Advantage to paint their perspective of freedom using Pepperfry Studio’s façade.[16][17]
- Art of the Nation Exhibition which was a collaboration between The Art Junction and Atypical Advantage to raise awareness about the abilities of Indian artists with disabilities. It showcased curated artworks of 10 differently abled artists.[2]
- Gift A Mini Concert’ initiative, it allows people to sign up performers for private and exclusive concerts. It is a way to generate more shows for disabled performers.[18]
- Independence Day 2023 Celebration in collaboration with shopping mall where disabled individuals performed live.[19][20][21]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c Ahaskar, Abhijit (2020-12-11). "A platform for people with disabilities to showcase talent, find jobs, sell art". mint. Retrieved 2023-09-15.
- ^ a b Raghib, Qazi M. (2022-04-26). "Art of the Nation: A unique exhibition showcasing works of 10 artists with disabilities". National Herald. Retrieved 2023-09-20.
- ^ Vibhanshu, Kumar (2021-02-07). "This 14 February, Gift Your Valentine A Perfect Portrait To Make A Disabled Smile". thelogicalindian.com. Retrieved 2023-09-20.
- ^ a b c "Future Group employee calls for inclusivity by hiring disabled people". Mid-day. 2020-12-20. Retrieved 2023-09-20.
- ^ "An E-Commerce And Hiring Platform Exclusively For The Differently-Abled". NDTV.com. Retrieved 2023-09-20.
- ^ Equentis. "Equentis collaborates with Atypical Advantage for hiring people with disabilities". www.prnewswire.com (Press release). Retrieved 2023-09-15.
- ^ "No challenge here, just pure talent". The Times of India. 2022-03-20. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 2023-09-20.
- ^ "Fading eyesight but not the zeal to live: The story of Vineet Saraiwala". UPDEED. 2022-12-21. Retrieved 2023-09-20.
- ^ "How this IIM graduate with failing vision created a Naukri for Persons with Disabilities". www.theweekendleader.com. Retrieved 2023-09-15.
- ^ Madaik, Devyani (2022-10-10). "Challenge Of Ensuring Mental Health For People With Disabilities". NDTV-Dettol Banega Swasth Swachh India. Retrieved 2023-09-20.
- ^ "How an MBA is helping people with disabilities find work". The Times of India. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 2023-09-20.
- ^ "Autistic painters finding value for their work in a growing market". The Times of India. 2022-05-13. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 2023-09-20.
- ^ "Vineet Saraiwala – A Man With An Atypical Advantage - Nomad Lawyer". nomadlawyer.org. 2022-11-28. Retrieved 2023-09-21.
- ^ Venkatraman, Shai (2020-12-10). "Launching Atypical Advantage, the talent platform for people with disabilities". Newz Hook | Disability News - Changing Attitudes towards Disability. Retrieved 2023-09-15.
- ^ Philip, Susan Joe (2021-02-12). "Get custom portraits created by artists with disabilities through the Portrait Perfect Valentine initiative". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 2023-09-20.
- ^ "Pepperfry Collaborates with Atypical Advantage to Celebrate Freedom for All". India Retailing (Press release). 2022-01-24. Retrieved 2023-09-20.
- ^ "19-year-Old Artist With Autism From Pune Paints His Vision Of Freedom In Honour of 'Azadi Ka Amrut Mahotsav'". Punekar News (Press release). 2022-08-08. Retrieved 2023-09-20.
- ^ "Flowers, candy, and now gift a kutcheri!". The Times of India. 2022-07-21. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 2023-09-20.
- ^ Singh, C. P. (2023-08-13). "Independence Day Performance: 'Specially Abled' Singer Enthrals Audience". NewZNew. Retrieved 2023-09-20.
- ^ "Spectacular Singing performance by 13- year- old Tejas Sri Datta at Nexus Vijaya Mall". Expressnews. Retrieved 2023-09-20.
- ^ "Navi Mumbai: 'Specially-Abled' To Perform On Independence Day At Seawoods Mall". Free Press Journal. Retrieved 2023-09-20.