Discover A New DawnKolkata, since 2014
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Work, dignity and a fair start for people with disabilities in Kolkata

DAND is a charitable trust founded in 2014. We run career counselling, skill training, free legal advice and small grants for people who want to start a business.

In 2015-16 we surveyed 217 people with disabilities in Kolkata and North and South 24 Parganas. All had finished school and were ready to work. Three in four had no job. Each circle is one person.
A young woman receives a First Step grant certificate from a DAND supporter in front of the DAND banner.

Getting people into work

Most of the people we meet have the education for a job and no way in. We run one-to-one career counselling, resume and interview practice, and mock interviews with volunteers from companies.

Through First Step, we give small grants to people with disabilities who are setting up their own business. The first four grants were made in January 2020.

See all programmes

Three women at a DAND workshop hold up the paper bags they made.

Skills that earn an income

Weekly sessions in handmade jewellery, paper craft and fibreglass products. Our trainees have sold their work at school fairs and exhibitions across Kolkata. During the pandemic we moved classes online, including coaching for competitive exams and spoken English.

Inclusive Hiring Conference, December 2026

This December we are bringing employers and job-ready candidates into one room in Kolkata. Date and venue will be announced soon. Companies can sponsor the day, send hiring managers, or both.

Why you can trust us with a donation

  • 12A and 80GRegistered under the Income Tax Act. Donations get an 80G receipt.
  • GuideStar IndiaAwarded the Transparency Key.
  • Persons with Disabilities ActCertified under section 52(2) and (4) by the Social Welfare Department, West Bengal.
  • NGO DarpanRegistered.

About DAND and the people who run it