New Delhi, February 29, 2024: Atypical Advantage, India's leading livelihood platform for people with disabilities, achieved a significant milestone of facilitating collective earnings of more than ₹ 1 Crore for 200+ artists with disabilities. The organisation collaborated with more than 250 brands including Nestle, Accenture, Godrej, Amazon, Tata Power, Adani, Pepperfry, Dell Technologies, Tata Steel, and Mad Over Donuts, in this endeavour.
According to the officials of Atypical Advantage, over the past three years, this initiative has provided livelihood opportunities across various sectors, spanning singing, dancing, stand-up comedy, motivational speaking, visual arts, as well as freelance services like voiceover, content writing, and photography. Artists who have benefited from these opportunities are from all across the country and encompass a diverse range of disabilities such as visual disability, down syndrome, hearing impairment, and more.
Varun Naren, an artist from Mumbai with Autism Spectrum Disorder, has earned nearly Rs. 2,70,000 through artwork sales and corporate doodling sessions. He said, “my artistic journey has been incredibly fulfilling, and teaching doodling at corporate events has allowed me to share my passion and be financially independent.”
Another artist with Autism, Karthik Krishnamurthy, a renowned singer based in Chennai, has earned close to Rs. 85,000 from the platform with a series of shows, including Sa Re Ga Ma Pa, where he was a finalist.
Speaking on the milestone, Vineet Saraiwala, Founder & CEO of Atypical Advantage, said, "As a visually impaired individual myself, I understand the importance of livelihood. We are thankful to our partnered brands and by 2030, we aim to positively impact the livelihood of over 1000 artists with disabilities and generate earnings exceeding 15 crore.”
Multiple initiatives of partnering brands contributed immensely towards livelihood generation and awareness-raising for the artists. These include Arvind Limited's 'Fashion for All’ campaign; Nestle’s #MotherhoodMadeMemorable campaign where artists with disabilities created hampers for maternity break mothers; Mad Over Donuts' artwork exhibition by disabled artists in their selected stores; Pepperfry’s promotion of digital art created by artists with disabilities in 43 stores across 10+ cities; and, Tata Power’s sports carnival showcasing Mallakhamb performances by disabled individuals along with simulation games for employee sensitization.
