Inclusive hiring reaps rewards for bank

Bhattacharya said this after handing over a cheque for Rs 23.59 lakh to Avinashilingam Trust for setting up an assistive technology lab here on Thursday. 

The laboratory will train and educate those with visual impairment, hearing impairment, cognitive disability and mobility impairment and make them active contributors in the society.

A couple of years ago, SBI was giving minimum work to such persons. The bank then identified some jobs that could be done by differently-abled people and provided training to them and those working with them. “With a little help, they have become active contributors,” she said. 

The SBI Chairperson said that it was such initiatives winning the bank laurels. The largest lender by assets will be receiving the best employer award from the President of India later this month for such initiatives. 

This is in addition to the ‘Helen Keller Award’ for providing employment for differently-abled people that they will be receiving for the  consecutive time this year. Stating that 10 per cent of the country’ population is facing one form of disability or the other, she said it is up to the society to consider them a burden or mould them in those contributing for the society. 

She also planted the 10,000th sapling as part of the 10-day drive launched by the bank in 175 schools in Coimbatore, Tirupur, Erode, Salem, Namakkal and The Nilgiris Districts, as part of the Children’s Day celebration. Along with planting saplings, the bank is educating students to inculcate the habit of saving money to help students learn the value of saving and investing and managing their finances.