title: Disability rights advocacy and employment: a qualitative study of the National Centre for the Employment of Disabled People (NCPEDP) in India.
abstract: In India, the low rate of employment of people with disabilities is a large problem in the growing economy. Looking at one advocacy group's strategies for influencing the private sector and lobbying the Indian government for more responsive employment policies, this article focuses on NCPEDP's holistic approach to increasing employment of people with disabilities as an example of notable, innovative practice. The article examines NCPEDP's strategies towards the private sector, public policy, and civil society, including its Disability Awards (highlighting inclusive workplaces), the 2001 and 2011 Census campaigns' efforts for people with disabilities to become accurately counted, and its networks of disability organizations that disseminate relevant information and campaign for greater equality across the nation. The benefits and limitations of these strategies are then assessed for lessons regarding the strategies available to small nongovernmental organizations seeking to influence employment, the private sector and public policy in other settings.
authors.affiliation: McGill Institute for Health and Social Policy, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Benshoff
authors.affiliation: McGill Institute for Health and Social Policy, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
authors.forename: Magda
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Barrera
authors.affiliation: UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, University of California-Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Jody
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Heymann
mesh_terms: D019352:Censuses; D003254:Consumer Advocacy; D006233:Persons with Disabilities; D004651:Employment; D006806:Human Rights; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D007255:Information Services; D019982:Organizational Case Studies; D009938:Organizations; D011640:Public Policy; D036301:Qualitative Research
keywords: India; Rights-based advocacy; employment; national policy