Creative employment for blind women In India is a unique business. Its focus is to integrate people with sight problems into society through an employment initiative. The project named, Made In The Dark is a jewelry brand that enables blind women in India to create designs using their sense of smell.
Project Creation
Created through a collaboration between three Royal College of Art students in the UK and two students from the National Institute of Design in India. Together they work with the Blind People’s Association and the Andh Kanya School in India to assist blind women who work making handcrafted jewelry designs. Made In The Dark uses scented beads so that the women can identify which colors they are using and alter their designs accordingly. The creations are sold to ethical retailers to appeal to the growing market of progressive middle-class women in India.
Creative Employment for Blind Women
There is a large population of people with sight problems in India. Many are fully trained in craftwork and yet still struggle to find sustainable jobs. The Made In The Dark projects helps to improve the quality of life for many by providing a platform for those with existing talent. At the same time, they are teaching them new business skills and raising awareness of the blind community.
This is a good example of working from our strengths and maximizing our talents. Crafts and jewelry are usually considered a visual expression. This project draws from another human sense, that of smell and allows for the creation of a unique, one of a kind gift. Customers are primarily women from the middle-class sector in India. It seems reasonable that sales could expand into the online marketplace and would likely do well wholesaling through various women shops.
A good example of an ethical business trade.
