Taj Cidade de Goa Marks IDPwD with Panel on Inclusive Education, Skilling and Employment
To commemorate the International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPwD), Taj Cidade de Goa – Heritage hosted a panel discussion that brought together educators, technologists, accessibility advocates, and IHCL Goa leadership. Anchored in IHCL’s ABLE Framework, the conversation explored how early education, emotional well-being, and AI-enabled skilling can create an inclusive pathway leading to meaningful employment for Persons with Disabilities (PwDs).
Educators highlighted that the journey toward inclusion begins at the foundation stage. Ms. Neetal Amonkar, Member Secretary of the Sanjay Centre for Special Education, delivered a keynote on the “Classroom to Career” continuum. She emphasised the need to strengthen early learning, provide real-world exposure, and ensure students are equipped, confident, and supported as they move into professional environments.
Dr. Aanchal Gupta, Assistant Professor and Member of the Centre for Social Sensitivity & Action (CSSA) at the Goa Institute of Management, offered an academic perspective on inclusion. She discussed how curriculum design, sensitisation programs, and industry-educational institution partnerships contribute to building a sustainable, scalable Skill Lens ecosystem for Goa.
Representing the hospitality sector, Mr. Hemant Jaiswal, Area Director – Human Resources, IHCL Goa, outlined IHCL’s efforts to co-create vocational modules with schools. Guided internships, visual learning tools, and accessible workplace practices support these modules. He noted that IHCL’s pilot project in Goa, which mapped 45 PwD profiles to 11 job roles, demonstrates the ABLE Framework’s potential to create operationally viable and socially relevant employment pathways.
Technologist Syam Ivaturi of Disha AI demonstrated how adaptive AI tools can support diverse learning needs, simplify task training, and improve digital accessibility across hospitality workflows. He explained that AI-driven skill identification and mapping can help match individual abilities with specific job roles, enabling a more personalised and practical approach to inclusion and workforce development.
As the discussion progressed, a shared viewpoint emerged: inclusion strengthens teams, organisational culture, and long-term purpose. Mr. Ranjit Phillipose, Sr. Vice President – Operations, IHCL Goa, reaffirmed IHCL’s commitment to accessibility and dignity in the workplace.
He noted, “Our ABLE network reflects our belief that every individual contributes unique value. Inclusion at IHCL Goa is not an initiative; it shapes how we approach the future of hospitality.”
The event concluded with a collective commitment to enhancing the “Skill Lens Solution” to support young people with disabilities in Goa as they pursue purposeful, empowering careers.
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