For workers with special needs, remote work isn’t just another option to earn,  but the benefits and flexibility provided by remote work can be life-changing in terms of facilitating work-life integration.   

People with disabilities (PWDs) and medical conditions around the world welcomed the post-pandemic massive shift to remote work heartily. This watershed event has empowered these workers in ways never seen before.   

What challenges do workers with special needs face when working in a conventional workplace? And how do remote work and work-from-home provide solutions to these challenges?

Commuting

Commuting to work is not only difficult for PWDs, but it’s also highly inaccessible and dangerous. There are many incidents where PWDs are rejected by cab drivers, so they had to wait for hours to get a cab, and even then, they sometimes get injured while commuting. This seriously affects PWD workers’ punctuality and productivity. 

Solution:

Remote work requires no commuting. You can get to work based on your convenience and needs – it can be as short as getting up from bed and going to your workstation or as relaxed as taking a long shower, preparing a meal, then getting on with work. It saves energy and time which you can fully dedicate to work. Working from home also reduces the risk of sustaining injuries because you know your home better than the roads. 

Lack of needs-specific amenities 

Offices often lack situation-specific facilities, from wheelchair ramps to disabled washrooms and parking. Even doors that need handles for holding and the absence of elevators pose immense challenges for PWD workers. They cannot function independently because the workplace is not built for them.

Solution:  

For special-needs workers, the most useful part of remote work is its high flexibility which allows maximum personalization. You can adjust your home office to allow yourself the most comfortable and work-conducive position. You can also take frequent breaks to rejuvenate and re-energize; as a result, you bring your most optimum self to work.

Confidentiality of medical condition 

Disability and medical conditions aren’t always visible. Some people are allergic to fragrances, live with autoimmune disorders and mental health issues, are prone to seizures, require special posture-supporting chairs, must take medication thrice a day, or have dietary restrictions and conventional workplaces don’t always consider these factors. 

Many workers with special needs prefer to keep their needs private. They may feel embarrassed and awkward to openly tend to their special needs and those feelings are not healthy in a workplace. Fear of judgment and a lack of understanding among co-workers may also simmer, causing productivity to plummet.

Solution: 

Although the lack of physical presence is often cited as one of the drawbacks of remote work, it’s a blessing for special needs workers. With the lack of physical presence, a special needs worker can choose who is privy to the information of their disability and medical condition. 

Since you are only fully heard and not fully seen, you can exude confidence and focus on your work. You can also communicate with your colleagues without inhibitions, choosing exactly what you’re comfortable disclosing to your colleagues. Since you can’t be seen most of the time, insecurities and disquietude about your condition being known don’t manifest intensely. 

Pain mitigation and disease management are easier when you work remotely. With remote work, even bedridden people on ventilator support can work. Take it from Therese Margareth Saranza from Genashtim – after a botched surgery that rendered her a quadriplegic and ventilator dependent, she works as a Client Support Executive, earns in dollars, and helps her financially deprived kin.

Discrimination

Visible disability can cause doubts about work efficacy among team members and colleagues, causing doubts and disenchantments. This can negatively impact the performance of disabled workers as they need to constantly defend themselves from stereotypical preconceived notions at the workplace. Worse, self-doubt and severe impostor syndrome can set in, affecting the special needs workers’ productivity.

Solution:

The lack of physical presence in the remote workplace turns disability into ability. In a remote workplace, disability isn’t a jarring sight, it’s rather subtle. And one of the perks of remote work is its concentrated focus on productivity rather than presenteeism. This is a remote work factor special needs workers can leverage to make their work performance speak louder than their medical conditions.

Final words…

As we celebrate International Day of Persons with Disabilities this month, it is appropriate to acknowledge disability and special needs inclusion. The United Nations‘ initiatives for disability inclusion in all areas are admirable. Despite the efforts, the existing system still thinks that disabled people are dispensable, particularly in the working world. 

Remote work is changing this in line with this year’s UN’s International Day of Persons with Disabilities theme “Transformative solutions for inclusive development: the role of innovation in fuelling an accessible and equitable world.”

The PWD community had been requesting work from home for so many years – only to be told that it was not possible. Then, the pandemic happened – everyone else needed to work from home due to global lockdowns, and heaven and earth were moved to make remote work viable. Many PWD and special needs workers opine that this is a deliberate lack of will to consider their special needs, not only in the working world but also about accessibility in public.

In a way, this makes the sudden surge of the availability to work remotely bittersweet but there is no looking back. Workers with special needs now have greater freedom to work in a personalized environment that is structured to accommodate their needs, allowing them to be more efficient and productive than ever.

However, many jobs cannot be done remotely– special needs and disability inclusion must be amplified in these jobs as well. Where there is a will, there is a way – the pandemic serves as a lesson for human capacity to adapt and the same efforts must be applied to PWDs’ inclusion in the global workforce. It’s good for the economy and nation-building as the disabled are human capital with potential that is waiting to be tapped. 

The way forward is expanding remote work opportunities for everyone who needs to be financially sustainable through employment while managing personal commitments and responsibilities, and insurmountable and cultural circumstances that are not immediately changeable. People who fall into these categories include:

• Parents who can’t afford daycare
• Parents of children with special needs
• Women with caretaking duties
• Women in oppressed environments
• College students
• Refugees
• Retirees

JEDI Jobs is an online remote work platform that prioritizes disabled, and special needs jobseekers. Powered by Genashtim Pte Ltd, JEDI Jobs offers sustainable and gainful remote employment from global employers. Register as a jobseeker here and grab the opportunity to work remotely and gain sustained financial empowerment.