There's no inclusion without remote work
Disability employment gains highlight the importance of remote options
Everyone has an opinion about remote work. But while people bicker over no commutes versus the value of hallway conversations, the fact that remote work is life-changing for disabled people has been largely overlooked.
Before the pandemic, 19% of disabled people in the United States were employed, compared to 66% of people without a disability. Even when they were employed, far more disabled people than people without a disability were working part-time or self-employed. This has driven disabled people into poverty — in 2020, 25% of us lived in poverty.
This has driven disabled people into poverty — in 2020, 25% of us lived in poverty.
While everyone was hit hard by the pandemic, the recovery has been different for disabled people. For the first time, employment rates for disabled people have soared, outpacing employment rates of non-disabled people. Disabled people report getting more, better job offers with higher pay and more flexibility and openness to accommodations.
Part of the reason for this surge is the red-hot job market. But equally as important has been the shift to remote work.
When I was at Meta, I led a monthly disability community support group. While other meetings I attended focused on the difficulties of remote work, the disability support group discussions were different. People shared how they were able to better accommodate their needs at home. They talked about how difficult the office had been for them — and their fears that they would fall behind if returning to the office became mandatory.
Part of the reason for this surge is the red-hot job market. But equally as important has been the shift to remote work.
I was lucky to work for a company that didn’t make returning to the office mandatory. Being able to work from home permanently gave me options that weren’t available before. I relocated to a state with a lower cost of living (to save more because who knows when I won’t be able to work anymore) and better medical providers.
That might not sound like a big deal. But within a few months of moving, my new medical team discovered that my chronic back pain was caused by severe spinal degeneration and cord compression. Pain I’ve lived with for years may be able to be addressed with surgery.
On a more tactical level, remote work enables me to work on days I simply can’t make it into an office. Now if I am having a difficult health day, I can go straight from bed to my computer. If I need a break during the day to rest, I can go lie down for 10 minutes. I have fewer health crashes and can work more consistently and with better focus.
As the job market has slowed, there’s been a lot of debate over whether remote work will fizzle out. Companies don’t have to jump through as many hoops to attract employees. The consensus seems to be that hybrid work is the happy medium that balances the needs of employers and employees.
For many people, remote work is a nice-to-have. They prefer enjoy being able to spend more time with their family and focus better at home with fewer distractions. But for many disabled people, remote work is the only way they can work at all. If remote work dissipates, they’ll be pushed back into poverty and left without a safety net.
But for many disabled people, remote work is the only way they can work at all.
Many companies claim to be champions of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) but haven’t acknowledged the importance of remote work for hiring and retaining disabled employees. The hybrid model that so many are embracing simply doesn’t take into account the needs of disabled people.
Given the importance of remote work to disabled people, it’s hard to imagine that any company that truly cares about DEI would opt against it. As a disabled person, even if there comes a time when I don’t rely on remote work, I’ll know better than to apply at a company that doesn’t offer it.
DEI lip service is easy. Ensuring that all employees are set up for success might be harder but it’s the only way to really create an inclusive workplace.
Glad to hear employment for disabled people has gone up so much. Do you have any good references we can share with others that demonstrate the effectiveness of including more workers with disabilities when remote work options are offered? I’m not sure if you’re suggesting this but I wonder if there’s been any research that would validate providing remote work as an accommodation, even when an employer’s standard policy might shift to hybrid or fully in the office. I feel like that shot is continuing, especially outside tech.