Products made by disabled entrepreneurs finds right buyers at online shopping portal ‘Omeda Cart’

‘Omeda Cart’ is an online shopping portal where disabled entrepreneurs sell their products. Its founder Arjun says that his team always wanted to do something for disabled people. Helping them to become self-reliant and independent was the best thing. Read on to know more.

It was when Arjun TM, a youngster who hails from Kozhikode in Kerala, met with an accident and was bed-ridden for a year that he understood the struggles of people with disabilities. Most of them who are confined to their homes due to mobility issues and lack of accessible spaces in public are struggling to make ends meet. With the help of a friend and few other kind souls, Arjun started ‘Omeda Cart’. This online shopping platform is created for disabled people to showcase products made by them so that buyers can buy it from the portal.

Omeda Cart for disabled entrepreneurs

There are many talented people with disabilities who are skilled yet have no platforms to put up their works. Due to Covid pandemic, everything has moved to online platforms. So Arjun and his team, who decided to implement the idea over two years back, knew that this is the right time.

“When I was bed-ridden for a year, I realized how hard it must be for people with disabilities. That is when I got that initial spark to do something for the community. Ever since the idea kick-started, we have been getting ample support from all sides”, says Arjun.

The disabled entrepreneur who is part of the venture goes directly to ‘Omeda Cart’ and uploads their products. Arjun and his team claims to be intermediaries. All the work is done solely by the disabled entrepreneur themselves. Currently, there are over 18 people but the team is filtering more entrepreneurs to expand the venture.

Though ‘Omeda Cart’ is for people with physical disabilities, they hope to include others with intellectual disabilities in months to come.

Need to support ‘Omeda Cart’

“We know there are many online shopping portals that sell umbrellas, paper pens and other products. But when you buy from ‘Omeda Cart’, you are supporting a person with disability by helping them to become self-reliant and independent”, says Arjun adding, “lives of disabled people are worse than what you think. They need a lot of support”.

Though Arjun and his team planned to start ‘Omeda Cart’ in the European market, it did not take off due to the Covid pandemic. They started full-fledged only three months back. “We are getting a lot of good responses from all sides. It is high time that society understands about people with disabilities. It is unfortunate that there is still a large need for awareness. It is not easy to spread message about our venture because people are so unaware”, says Arjun.

Anjurani Joy, a wheelchair user from Kerala puts up her handmade jewelry on ‘Omeda Cart’. “I started putting them up almost three months back. Since the venture is in its beginning stage, we are looking forward for good responses. There are many disabled entrepreneurs out there, but they don’t know how to reach their products to the market”, she says.

Check the link for Omeda Cart now.

Watch in Sign Language

Also Read:

• Revamped ‘Kaivalya’ project inaugurated by Kerala minister to help disabled people become self-reliant