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Broadly, Vocational Training is imparted to the challenged based on the two essential parameters such as suitability and the interest. The criteria for suitability are the type of handicap, IQ level of the person and the educational qualifications, if any. The second aspect depends purely upon the willingness of the challenged to take up the vocation.

Special care is taken to train the challenged in terms of environment, encouragement, emotional balance and goal oriented training with individualized rehabilitative plan. Based upon the IQ level the challenged acquires the skills pertaining to the vocation concerned. However, a time frame can never be fixed for such candidates as they have their own handicaps.

Later, he is prepared to face the examination in which he was trained and made to pass through the test. Now, the challenged is to be integrated into open market of employment. With a great difficulty he is made to secure an employment to eke out his living.  The training part is finished and the registers maintained at the institute show a great record of achievement.

One fine morning, the challenged returns with a blank face, to the institution, sometimes along with his parents/guardians. Reason?  The challenged could not get accustomed to his place of work, the parents/guardians say. Why?  The environment is not conductive to adjustment for lack of affection and sympathy that were shown at the Training Institute.  After all, the employer too has invested huge amounts to establish the industry with the motive of earning the profits.  His calculations are purely based on Income Vs. Expenditure and Loss Vs. Profit.  His sustenance is more important than experimenting with the persons with challenges in rehabilitation. He shall have least regard to the development of the challenged concerned. He thinks he has shown great deal of concern by providing the employment to the challenged. However, he has his reason among many more. Resultantly the challenged are landing on the footpaths, cross-roads etc., exhibiting their handicaps for alms. Hope many are aware of the fat that poverty and challenges are walking hand in hand in India. A rough estimate envisages that about 70% of handicapped are born in the families of those who fall under poverty level! Then what is the solution?

At the apex level the policy makers sitting at Shastri Bhavan in Delhi should get in to the in depth study of the needs of the handicapped in the challenging scenario. Potential employment avenues ate to be created. This shouldn’t be in isolation. High profile professionals in the field are to be consulted. Action plans are to be devised with the time bound schedules as envisaged by the NCPEDP, (a) To identify the jobs in A & B category (b) To revise and update the C & B category job lists (c) To notify a firm scheme or legislate a quota for the private sector and multi-nationals (d) To make NHFDC a target oriented and more accountable.

In the NGO’s the general trend is towards training in arts, crafts, block & screen printing, making the stationery items, photo copying etc. Only a handful of NGO’s are providing technical training in industry-related work areas or in computer operations. Therefore, even if the corporate sector and the Govt. provide greater job opportunities for disabled people, there will be a few professionally qualified disabled to take up those posts. Govt. of India  has set up 23 employment exchanges and 55 special cells for the placement of handicapped. Inspite of these services, the employment scenario of disabled people looks dismal. There are about 60 million disabled in the country. As per the National Sample survey of 1991 about 7 million of these are in need o f employment! The placements every year have been only 4,000. In the last 40 years or so, not more than one lack disabled have been provided employment. The type of vocational training being provided restricts the options for the disabled people. It seems to be preparing them only for self-employment. Is it not time to review the type vocational, technical and professional training that is available for disabled people?

As it is, the competition is much higher in seeking the employment in the open market for normals. The challenged have to compete with the normals in the first phase. For which they need a sophisticated machinery (Governmental) to train & rehabilitate the challenged. More importantly the awareness among the society is the prime objective for the policy makers. Convergence of the services intended for the challenged is the second important measure to be initiated.