Introduction:
Every day offers a new chance to create, innovate, and take charge. Too often, skill-building programs focus only on survival instead of unlocking creativity and opportunity. But I believe that when given the right tools and support, anyone can become a builder of their own future.
In this article, I share insights from working alongside communities and developing solutions that empower people not just to find jobs but to become entrepreneurs and leaders in their own right.
For the past few years, I’ve been trying to solve problems that often go unnoticed. How do we make daily life more dignified for persons with disabilities? How do we turn skill-building into something meaningful, not just routine? I didn’t come with a grand strategy. I just started asking questions and listening closely to people who are usually left out of the conversation. And what I saw was clear. Most skilling programs today are still helping people survive, not grow. That needs to change.
What I Noticed Early On:
In many training centers across states, I kept seeing the same picture. People with disabilities were being taught trades that no longer matched the real market. These skills might have helped once, but not anymore. There was no link to income, no real-world exposure, and no focus on what the person actually wanted to do. The structure was the same too. Train them, hand over a certificate, and then nothing. No follow-up, no mentoring, no guidance. The process ends before the journey even begins.
That said, I’ve also met some organizations doing good work. There are training partners and community organisations who genuinely try to match skills with opportunities. We need more of them. A lot more.
At Purple Jallosh in Pune, we tried something different. We brought students and persons with disabilities together in a problem-solving event called a Solvathon. It wasn’t a lecture. It wasn’t a showcase. It was a shared space.
What Self-Reliance Really Means:
Self-reliance, to me, is not just about finding a job. It’s about:
• Learning something that fits your strengths and your interest
• Knowing how to manage money, speak for yourself, and use digital tools
• Connecting with mentors, markets, and micro-opportunities
• Getting continued support after the training ends
This isn’t wishful thinking. I’ve seen it happen when the ecosystem comes together. The learner becomes a builder. And those changes everything.
What Helped Me Build Better Solutions?
Here are the lessons we should learn:
1. Build with the person, not for them. Ask, involve, co-create
2. One-size-fits-all doesn’t work. Skills need to fit the local context and the individual
3. Job-readiness is only one path. Some want to start something of their own. Respect that
4. Don’t stop at training. Offer follow-up, mentoring, and community
5. Don’t think in terms of events. Think in terms of systems.
What We Tried at Kaiteki?
At Kaiteki, we built something as basic as a hands-free toilet attachment, the Guko Bidet. It wasn’t about the product alone. It was about giving PwD’s an accessible restroom. experience.
We tested it at Purple Fest in Goa. Then we refined it through feedback from people actually using it. Places like Deepsthambh Foundation supported these trials and helped us improve.
This is what co-creation really means. Not just designing with good intent, but staying open to feedback and improving together.
What Stakeholders Can Do Differently
• Governments can stop running one-time schemes and focus on long-term platforms that bring skills, finance, infrastructure, and dignity together
• Training institutions can make programs modular, market-linked, and led by real mentors
• Corporates can stop waiting for inclusive talent and start creating it through partnership trainings
• Colleges can start seeing students with disabilities as innovators. Let them lead
How Can We Work Together?
Creating awareness is only the first step. Real change happens when we come together as stakeholders, communities, and individuals to build systems that work in practice, not just on paper.
Imagine a future where governments partner deeply with grassroots organisations, where training centers become hubs of innovation and continuous support, where businesses actively nurture inclusive talent pipelines, and where persons with disabilities are not just beneficiaries but leaders and creators of their own destinies.
This future is not distant or abstract. It starts now with each of us committing to action beyond conversations. Let us co-create solutions that are rooted in lived experience, backed by sustainable resources, and scaled through collaboration.
Together we can transform skilling from survival mode into a movement of self-reliance and empowerment, not just for a few but for everyone. Let us move from awareness to implementation. Let us build, step by step, a world where ability meets opportunity in its fullest, richest form.
About the Author
Raghu is the founder of Kaiteki Innovations, an assistive technology startup focused on creating accessible and inclusive solutions for persons with disabilities. With years of experience in counseling, training, and development, Raghu is passionate about transforming skilling programs to enable true self-reliance and dignity.
He actively works at the intersection of technology, community empowerment, and inclusive design to build practical solutions that make a difference in everyday lives.