"Once upon a time, a for-profit social enterprise floated somewhere in the cloud. The organization welcomed those who couldn’t see, hear, or walk but possessed a vision and a thirst to achieve despite insurmountable challenges.

While the COVID-19 pandemic raged in the outside world, workers shifted to a “pandemic-proof” mode by working from home, intercepting the spread of the virus. Unexpectedly, the phenomenon breathed new life into remote work and since then there has been no looking back. However, with the current return-to-office (RTO) policy, remote workers are being called back to their on-site desks.  CNBC published a research article that remote workers who return to the office stand to earn up to 30% more than their remote counterparts.   Individuals who transitioned from remote to in-office roles last year experienced a notable 29.2% increase in...

The phrases “remote work,” “digital nomads,” “work-from-home,” and “telework” are being thrown around a lot after the pandemic, aren’t they? It’s becoming a norm for people to ask if you work remotely or on-site, and it’s become a common dinner topic. 

I joined the remote work revolution in June 2019 – nearly half a year before the pandemic. Since then, I’ve seen remote work creating boundless opportunities in the workforce for people with disabilities (PWDs) like me.   I have a rare genetic disease but the diagnosis was delayed because  the symptoms mimic that of other illnesses. The late diagnosis robbed me of some physical functions. Just when I lost all hopes of ever getting a job or developing my skills, I was hired by Genashtim Pte Ltd, a 100% remote work company with a mission to provide sustainable and gainful employment...

When I was in school in the 90s, and internet technology was nascent, I could remember every historical date and correlate it to the associated event with little effort.

The other day, I was using the washroom when I heard my home office echoing the “bing” from MS Teams. I was immediately anxious, and various worst-case scenarios began to scramble in my mind. “Is it from my manager? Did I make a mistake? What is it did I do this time that went wrong?”   My surging cortisol levels only plummeted once I could check the messages and respond. For a while, I sat back and reflected on the stress that consumed me several moments ago. And then, I discovered the name for it – “tech stress.”  What’s tech stress,...

Back in 2007, during my physiotherapy session at a local center, a sudden commotion caught my attention in the computer room. Intrigued by all the fuss, I made a beeline to the source.

Therese Margareth Saranza is  paralyzed neck-down and relies on a ventilator due to a medical condition known as atlantoaxial instability. 

In 2007, I witnessed a person with cerebral palsy typing on a computer using a stylus attached to a headband. I was amazed.   We have come a long way since the head stylus, and current technology like speech recognition software, screen readers, adaptive gadgets, magnifiers, and other assistive tools help PWDs work remotely and gain financial independence.   Technology’s true purpose is inclusivity, where people from all walks of life benefit, including people with disabilities (PWDs). Everyone deserves everything technology offers – comfort, safety, speed, accessibility, enhanced communication, and convenience.   Things weren’t always like this though.  With the advent of the...

orld where able-bodied workers seem to be the only ones moving toward a thriving career, Mayrra, a wheelchair user, could only work as an online freelancer, inwardly wishing for a stable job.