A road less travelled: Krishty’s take on how to empower people with disabilities
In 2018, the organisation’s journey started with two goals: to advance the research work on disabilities in Bangladesh and to help people with disabilities lead independent lives
Ema Nazmatuz's life has always been quiet. As a person with hearing disabilities, her education came to an abrupt halt in the eighth grade. She could not stay engaged or understand the lessons. She had communication issues with her teachers and her peers in the absence of sign language.
"I would usually stay home, and I didn't have much to do. Sometimes I would talk with my mom or do some art," shared Ema.
Ema's mother, Meheun, first heard about Krishty, an independent learning centre, from her friends who attended Krishty's training and are guardians of other individuals with disabilities.
It piqued her interest. Ema landed an internship at Krishty after Meheun took her there. The 20-year-old Ema has been a part of the organisation for three years now.
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"After joining Krishty, I've learned computer skills and improved on drawing with their crafts section. I'm currently learning accounting work and Excel and am proficient in MS Word. I also learned how to use Adobe Illustrator," Ema told TBS on a video call with the assistance of an interpreter who used sign language to communicate.
Many of the individuals who came across Krishty have gone through a similar trajectory.
Rupam Majumder, a person with hearing disabilities, has been with the organisation for four years and is now their Support Service Manager. Krishty's training helped him not only develop his computer skills, it also helped him learn tactile language, enabling Rupam to communicate with individuals with visual disabilities.
When asked if Rupam was able to gain independence from his time at Krishty, Hasan Muhammad, the director of Krishty, said, "Many individuals with disabilities are not used to thinking for themselves as independent individuals, they have this concept that others will think about their welfare for them. But Rupam's thoughts differ from his family's as he has gained that independence, financially or otherwise.
He added, "In that way, you can say he's gained independence, he thinks freely."
How Krishty works
The organisation's journey started with two goals: To advance research on disabilities in the context of Bangladesh and to help people with disabilities lead independent lives. The latter includes helping people with disabilities learn how to budget, computer literacy, develop professional skills, and much more.
Krishty also offers a residential training option, and their services come free of cost.
Sabrina Sultana, who has been bound to a wheelchair after being diagnosed with muscular dystrophy, realised that to empower people with disabilities, she needed to raise awareness among the community itself. So, in 2018, Sabrina set on her journey to create an inclusive environment for people with disabilities and to guide them to live their lives independently.
"We help young individuals who are studying, where we train them from four to six months to help them develop themselves for the workplace," shared Sabrina. "We help them become more confident in life, identify their lackings, and help them improve accordingly. This can include basic computer skills to how they can keep their own space clean, as well as communication skills."
Located in Chattogram, the 20-member organisation focuses on interpersonal communication and building self-confidence. Krishty also includes a drama group, folk music team and science club.
Until last year, Krishty has provided skill development training to 43 individuals with various types of disabilities.
Among the people who received skill development training from Krishty, 11 are currently working at the organisation, while the remaining 32 are engaged in other fields such as garment factories, therapy centres and business activities.
According to Sabrina, development in people with disabilities is low as they are segregated, growing up separately in specialised schools and confined to their family circle. In turn, it allows them fewer opportunities to develop skills from real experiences.
This is reflected in Ema's life story, which saw a halt in her education. Hasan said, "Young individuals with disabilities are usually discouraged from continuing their education. One of the reasons is because they don't have access to proper education."
"Usually, an organisation specialises in one aspect of disabilities, making it such that different communities never intersect. I want to promote cross-cultural interaction between communities. People with visual impairments will be able to meet and interact with people with hearing disabilities."
He continued, "For example, if one cannot hear, non-inclusive schools do not have the resources to accommodate their needs. There aren't even enough primary school teachers to guide students with hearing disabilities. So, when students go to classes, they cannot stay engaged. So, once their guardians feel like there is no point in keeping them in class, they withdraw them from schools."
Experiences like this are what inspired Sabrina to create Krishty.
Why the name Krishty?
"Krishty is a synonym of 'culture.' My thought process was that a cultural revolution — encompassing education, cultural, political and social spheres — would occur in the world of persons with disabilities. With the slogan 'Practice Inclusive Culture' we have established the only Center of Independent Living (CIL) in Bangladesh," replied Sabrina, who believes it is critical to first understand the issues faced by persons with disabilities before building a sociopolitical movement around their rights.
Building on research
If one were to explore the research on disabilities, it becomes evident that much of it comes from Western research. In the context of Bangladesh, research on disabilities is almost non-existent.
The impact of this is severe, especially on students with disabilities, and its signs are everywhere. For example, the Bangla braille notation has remained underdeveloped for many years, holding back students with visual disabilities from reaching their true potential.
"Students with visual disabilities would normally have to opt for subjects such as Arts instead of Science and Mathematics as the Bangla braille notation was underdeveloped for those subjects," shared Sabrina.
Research activities conducted by Krishty work towards standardising education for students with visual disabilities using braille. "Our research team worked on developing the braille notation for Science and Mathematics which the government approved around November 2024," added Sabrina.
For students with hearing disabilities, Krishty also creates video editions and conducts sentence construction workshops in Bengali Sign Language
Fostering cross-cultural interaction
Cross-culture refers to when individuals with different backgrounds can communicate with each other, meaning that persons with different disabilities are bound to come in contact with the organisation, where they will be able to interact with each other, pushing each person out of their comfort zone.
"I really like cross-culture. Normally an organisation specialises in one aspect of disabilities, making it so different communities never intersect," commented Sabrina. "I want to promote cross-culture in communities. People with vision disabilities will be able to meet and interact with people with hearing disabilities."
Furthermore, people with disabilities make up a majority of the organisation, including the guides. To re-establish cross-culture, different persons with disabilities guide the members. For example, guides with hearing disabilities may guide a person with visual disabilities and vice versa, which is possible through tactile language.
The challenge for Krishty, though, lies in funding.
"I have big dreams and want to do many things and I am working on things people have not worked on before. So, a lot of finance is needed to tackle these issues."
Krishty also operates in a very limited capacity. In a year, the organisation can take in about eight people for live-in training as space is limited. However, none of the existing limitations can stop Sabrina from working on future plans to expand Krishty.
To remain self-reliant, Sabrina established a small jewellery and crafts business, where the money is reinvested back into Krishty. A smaller portion of the funds also come from donations as well.
Already, Krishty has also collaborated with organisations such as the National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB), the National Museum of Science and Technology, the National Foundation for Development of the Disabled, and the Bangladesh Braille Publishers Association (BIPAB) among many others
