Clear about challenges, strengths: How leaders with disabilities are successfully heading teams of able-bodied folks

But getting that first job was tougher than he expected. “I won prizes in college and was adjudged the ‘Best Male Delegate’. But it was the 80s, and after every job interview I sat for, I was told: ‘You are good but you have polio. We can’t hire you.’”

He then decided to get an MBA, but the same story repeated. For him, the last straw was when he progressed to the HR round at HCL Computers. “After the round, the HR executive took me aside and told me he had noticed I was limping and was cancelling my selection.”

This is when D’Souza took matters into his own hands. Once home, he wrote a letter to Shiv Nadar, the founder of the technology firm, “pouring my heart out, and not expecting a reply”. But he did get a reply. D’Souza was called to the company headquarters a few days later. “The GM of special projects apologised to me, said the conduct of the HR executive wasn’t right, and allowed me to join the selection process. The final round wasn’t a cakewalk but I got selected as a management trainee. In this way, Shiv Nadar gave me my first job,” D’Souza says.

After that, he says he didn’t face biases while working. He was, in fact, admired for his work ethic. “When people see your ability, they will stop thinking about your disability,” says D’Souza.

Navigating leadership challenges

Several of Hari Raghavan’s innovations from India have become mainstream in the AWS partner-business globally. Raghavan was awarded by the President of India in 2009 for being a role model for PwDs.

Hari Raghavan agrees. The 47-year-old, who is visually impaired, says effectively navigating leadership challenges comes down to emotional maturity, irrespective of whether or not one has a disability.

The lead for Global Strategic Partnership at Amazon Web Services says most people genuinely want to do the right thing, but don’t know how to help. “Since I am comfortable with my disability, that comfort puts others at ease too… I often tell people if I need help and how they can do so.”

Besides that, Raghavan says holding oneself to the highest standards and preparing meticulously is important. “I dedicate time each week to ideation and business planning”.

Keeping up with the times

Mamta Dalal says she asks people to clarify things if she has missed parts of a conversation, especially in group settings with multiple speakers. (Photo: Nimish Dalal)

Mamta Dalal, who works as the content head at Aptech Limited, the global training and education services firm, says she is constantly looking to learn. “My enthusiasm for new technologies or skills hasn’t dimmed despite more than 20 years in this industry,” she says. Dalal was diagnosed with acute hearing loss in her 20s after some medicines saved her life but damaged her sensory nerves. “Obviously it was a shock to wake up one day to find my hearing gone”. She has since learned to ask people to clarify things if she feels she has missed parts of a conversation, especially in group settings with multiple speakers.

Being upfront about one’s needs is indeed a common theme. Sheetal Bathija, the head of culture at NatWest Group India, has limited mobility and faces issues with maintaining balance. “Walking even short distances can be tiring,” she says. What helps is being “transparent about my challenges but also conscious of my strengths”. The hybrid model of work aids Bathija who needs to collaborate with colleagues both in India and the United Kingdom. She also heads the employee-led inclusion initiative for PwDs at the global banking firm.

Bathija says planning is key. Several PwDs concur that planning helps them know in advance if they would need support for a particular activity in the day or the week ahead.

Being vocal about one’s needs

Michael Sequeira receiving the National Award for Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (Low Vision) in 2012 from then President Pranab Mukherjee.

For those in two minds about making their needs heard at the workplace, Michael Sequeira has one piece of advice: Be bold and take that step. The 41-year-old, who works as a recruiter at UK-based housing and care provider Sanctuary, says one needs to be vocal about their disability. “This also allows companies to help better once they become aware about specific requirements of an employee,” he says.

Sequeira, who has restricted eye vision and epilepsy, received the National Award for Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (Low Vision) in 2012 from the then President Pranab Mukherjee.

His advice for PwDs looking to change jobs is to research any prospective employer’s treatment of existing employees with disabilities. It helps if the company has an accreditation, such as the UK’s Disability Confident Scheme, which “encourages employers to think about how they can employ” PwDs.

Besides this, forming network groups and identifying mentors plays a big role in career advancement, says the IIM Bangalore alum.

Bridging the tech gap

But like in the case of D’Souza, one of the biggest challenges PwDs face is getting through the first door — the hiring process.

“Imagine a visually impaired person trying to navigate a job portal that does not work with screen readers, or a hearing-impaired candidate who is not provided a sign language interpreter during an interview. For many, the process ends before it even begins,” says Shilpi Kapoor, the chief executive officer at digital accessibility and consulting firm BarrierBreak.

Kapoor, who is able-bodied, suggests that organisations should start with accessibility audits to find gaps and then fix them systematically. “Ensure accessibility is provided from the design stage itself,” she says.

Over 50 per cent of these jobs are for PwDs with more than 6 years of experience.

Dropping the lens of ‘charity’

But even today, the discourse gets caught in the binary of either feeling pity for PwDs or painting them simply as figures for inspiration.

Many people fail to recognise that disability issues require investment and systemic change, rather than being treated as acts of kindness, says Armaan Ali, the executive director of the National Centre for Promotion of Employment for Disabled People. “The biggest challenge is convincing people, including individuals with disabilities, that disability is a rights-based development issue and not a charity or welfare,” says Ali, who has a locomotor disability and uses a wheelchair.

In the end, disability itself is not the impediment; it is the environment. Ali, whose organisation works on cross-disability advocacy, says the focus should be on breaking the “physical, infrastructural, informational, and attitudinal” barriers rather than viewing disability as a limitation.

PwDs rising through the ranks and aspiring to take on leadership roles should manage their disability proactively, use assistive technology, and seek support from friends and family. Never feel apologetic about who you are, says Ali. “Focus on your strengths, work on them, and remember that everyone is capable of achieving something remarkable.”