To be able to live in a world where the disabled are empowered by technology, allowing them to lead a regular life is a true accomplishment of science and the society. And Mumbai-based Mirakle Couriers, headed by Dhruv Lakra, which employs low-income deaf individuals, does exactly so.
It was a chance meeting with a deaf boy in a bus that inspired Lakra to start his company. “I realised he had difficulty knowing where to get off since all the stop announcements were made on the loud speaker. The massive communication barrier for deaf people makes everything extremely hard,” Lakra said in an interview with Sify.
He then decided to start a courier company staffed by the deaf, as the services required to conduct its business would not completely dependent on verbal communication. After working with NGOs to find and recruit applicants, the company is today staffed entirely by deaf adults – both in the office and as field agents,
The management learnt Indian Sign Language in order to train their colleagues in data entry and other PC operations and managerial roles too. Communication between field agents and the office staff is carried out via text messaging.
“Presenting them with a real professional opportunity is a miracle for their lives. We spell Mirakle with a K because we like to highlight that we are different”, Lakra says in the same interview.
For its inspiring and empowering work, the company has received various awards including the Hellen Keller award in 2009 and the National Award for the Empowerment of People With Disabilities in 2010.
With two branches now in Mumbai, the company now aims to extend their service across the country.
For more information, visit the Mirakle website and their Facebook page.
Written by Priya Unni
Featured image source: Mirakle Couriers on Facebook
