Grassroot Academy
Grassroot Academy: Creating Jobs and Livelihoods for Persons with Disabilities — By the Disability, Of the Disability
The Grassroot Academy is a unique, first-of-its-kind model and a game changer in the disability jobs and livelihoods ecosystem. It adopts an immersion approach in rural districts, focusing on villages and blocks as the heart of our work. Led by Divyang Mitrs — youth with disabilities from the same communities — this effort is truly “by the disability, of the disability.” These local changemakers drive jobs and livelihood opportunities for persons with disabilities, showing what inclusion looks like on the ground.
These Divyang Mitrs undergo an immersive leadership development program, equipping them to understand, voice, and advocate for the issues faced by persons with disabilities at the grassroots. They also gain digital skills, using tablets to capture local data on disabilities, job needs, and community solutions.
As disability activists, these grassroot leaders are breaking barriers — institutional, physical, and societal — that prevent people with disabilities from accessing jobs, livelihoods, and entrepreneurship opportunities. They are real changemakers in building disability jobs and livelihoods at the rural level.
Our Grassroot Academy aligns with 2 key UN Sustainable Development Goals:
- Leaving No One Behind
- Nothing for Us, Without Us — truly by the disability, of the disability
Grassroot Academy Process: Enabling Disability Jobs, Livelihoods, and Inclusion
- Advocacy and awareness for disability rights, jobs, and livelihoods
- Sensitizing local communities on inclusion and employment for persons with disabilities
- Mapping local persons with disabilities and understanding their job and livelihood needs
- Forging partnerships with local businesses and stakeholders for inclusive employment and enterprise
- Delivering job-oriented and entrepreneurship training connected with local livelihood opportunities
Why Grassroot Academy?
Post-COVID, when WISE launched online trainings, we uncovered many youth with disabilities in rural areas cut off from jobs and markets. It was clear that traditional disability job models wouldn’t work — a local, disability-led approach was needed.
Thus, Grassroot Academy was born — focused on:
- Local language training on disability jobs and livelihoods
- Scanning local markets for jobs and entrepreneurship opportunities for persons with disabilities
- Working with MSMEs and local industries to generate inclusive jobs and livelihoods
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At the same time, when Youth4Jobs (Y4J) launched its alumni network, many working alumni with disabilities wanted to give back to their communities. Grassroot Academy integrates these alumni as community changemakers, ensuring that disability jobs and livelihoods are created by the disability, of the disability.
Grassroot Academy is a powerful rural ecosystem for jobs and livelihoods — led by persons with disabilities, for persons with disabilities.
Are you a youth with disability looking to create change in your community?
Join Grassroot Academy and become a Divyang Mitr — a community leader driving inclusion, livelihoods, and change!
✅ Get trained in leadership, digital skills, advocacy, and livelihood linkages
✅ Be the voice of persons with disabilities in your village/block
✅ Join a growing network of changemakers across India
Our Training Centers are located across India — in cities like Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, and more!
