Driving Inclusivity with Enable India

Enable India, a leading NGO based in Bangalore, is committed to empowering individuals with disabilities through skill development and employment opportunities. Recognizing the need to improve accessibility for the deaf and hard-of-hearing candidates, Enable India collaborated with Yunikee, a digital transformation company specializing in inclusivity solutions, to translate critical workplace policies and onboarding materials into Indian Sign Language (ISL).

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Objectives

  1. Accessible Workplace Policies: Translate the Prevention of Sexual Harassment (POSH) policy into ISL to foster inclusivity and understanding.
  2. Enhanced Onboarding: Ensure new hires using sign language have a seamless and informed onboarding experience through ISL-translated materials.
  3. Promoting Inclusivity in the Sector: Serve as a role model for other organizations by showcasing best practices in accessibility.

Strategy & Execution

Needs Analysis and Stakeholder Engagement:

Enable India and Yunikee worked closely with employees and trainees who use sign language, hosting workshops to understand their specific needs and challenges. They also consulted experts in HR and legal compliance to ensure the translations were accurate, especially for the sensitive POSH policy. Feedback from stakeholders emphasized that using Indian Sign Language (ISL) was essential for clear understanding and legal accuracy, ensuring the policies remained true to their original intent.

Content Translation:

Yunikee brought in ISL translators with expertise in corporate and legal language to ensure the translations were accurate and meaningful. Videos were created for translations of the POSH policy and onboarding materials in ISL, enhanced with visual aids and key points displayed as on-screen text. To guarantee clarity and completeness, the videos went through multiple quality checks by ISL and legal experts, with additional input from Enable India’s stakeholders and trainees.

Implementation and Training:

Enable India revamped its onboarding process to include ISL video content to ensure a more inclusive experience for new hires. A dedicated training module was developed for HR staff, equipping them to better support sign language users during onboarding and compliance sessions. POSH training was conducted with ISL support, giving deaf and hard-of-hearing employees equal access to vital information and the confidence to participate in discussions.

Awareness and Advocacy:

Enable India and Yunikee launched a social media campaign to spotlight the importance of accessible documentation and inclusive workplace policies. Together, we also hosted a seminar on best practices for workplace accessibility, where we showcased the ISL-translated materials and Yunikee’s translation approach to corporate and NGO representatives.

Results

  • Enhanced Policy Understanding: Deaf and hard-of-hearing employees reported a 50% increase in comprehension of the POSH policy, creating a safer and more inclusive environment.
  • Improved Onboarding Experience: Satisfaction among new hires using ISL-translated materials increased by 60%, fostering a sense of inclusion from day one.
  • Industry Recognition and Influence: Enable India’s initiative inspired other organizations to explore similar accessibility solutions, boosting their visibility as a leader in inclusivity.
  • Stronger Brand Reputation: Enable India’s commitment to accessibility strengthened its reputation, encouraging others in the NGO sector to adopt similar practices.

Conclusion

Enable India’s partnership with Yunikee has redefined workplace accessibility by ensuring crucial policies and onboarding materials are available in Indian Sign Language. This initiative not only empowered deaf and hard-of-hearing employees but also set a benchmark for inclusivity in the workplace. By prioritizing accessibility, Enable India has reinforced its mission of empowering individuals with disabilities, inspiring other organizations to adopt inclusive practices and fostering a more equitable work environment.