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 internet and technology booming in the early 21st century, PWD workers too, were swept by the digital wave and its promise to make their professional lives more manageable. They requested to work from home for decades, confident about their capabilities to leverage technology to perform their jobs optimally from home. Alas, for the longest time, their pleas not only fell on deaf ears but were also dismissed as “impossible and too difficult to implement.” 

In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic hit, and the impossible was made possible – too difficult became essential for survival. Everyone started working from home through the massive efforts and paradigm shifts undertaken by companies to continue operating in the shockwave of a raging global health crisis compounded by worldwide lockdowns. Indeed, when there seems to be no way out, a new way is created.  

Post-pandemic, PWD workers’ employment and the rate of remote work have surpassed the pre-pandemic levels and stand at the highest since the Great Recession; however, this is under-discussed despite its landmark importance. 

So, why were PWD workers’ requests for remote work brushed off before the pandemic? 

1. Lack of awareness about disability inclusion in employment  

Discrimination against people with disabilities in employment, including denying them reasonable accommodations, is unlawful in many countries. However, many employers were unaware of this and refused PWD workers’ requests to work from home. 

2. Stereotypes about people with disabilities 

Some employers may have stereotypes about PWDs, such as being less productive or reliable than abled-bodied workers. This may have led them to deny requests for work from home by PWD workers, even if those workers were qualified for the job and could perform their duties remotely. 

3. The misconception that working from home is not possible for many jobs 

Some employers may have believed that working from home is not possible for most jobs. This may have led them to deny requests for work from home from PWD workers, without any solid proof whether workers could perform their duties remotely. 

Additionally, there are other reasons why PWD workers may have been denied work from home before the pandemic. For example, if a PWD worker requires specialized equipment or accommodations to work from home, the employer may have been reluctant to provide these without first seeing how the worker would perform their duties remotely. The pandemic debunked this misconception as more than half of humanity worked from home, maintaining their performance, productivity, and efficacy. As a result, employers realized that PWD workers could successfully work from home with suitable accommodations and became more willing to make these accommodations available. As workplaces went online, new ways of working for employers who want to improve their disability inclusion also opened like floodgates. 

From now on, the way forward is remote. 

Before the pandemic, disabled workers in the workplace and recruitment process reported being subjected to discrimination, negative attitudes, and a shallow understanding of disabilities. This rang true for Thomas Ng, Founder and CEO of Genashtim Pte Ltd, a for-profit social enterprise that employs people from disadvantaged groups, especially PWDs. 

Thomas, awed by the computer skills of blind students from a blind school in Manila where he served as a trustee, worked to get those blind students long-term and stable employment. When all his efforts to convince employers to hire the visually impaired students were in vain, he took matters into his own hands, started Genashtim in 2008, and employed them. He invented a fully remote work system for the company, and all his PWD employees worked from home.  

There were naysayers and doubters of Genashtim’s entire remote operations. During its initial years, the company only managed to keep its head above water. Nevertheless, Thomas and his colleagues persisted, expanding the company, acquiring more clients, hiring more remote workers with various disabilities, earning a B Corp certification, and winning CSR awards. Genashtim came full circle in the year of the pandemic when many employers and managers consulted the organization’s remote management about how something thought so unlikely was made likely 12 years before the pandemic. Genashtim’s pandemic-proof remote work model inspired their business survival and continuation. 

We hear about “remote-first and remote-friendly” companies in the post-pandemic era. Global tech giants announced that remote work is a permanent feature in their operations. As remote work proved practical, affordable, and all-around possible, with more cutting-edge technological advancements like AI cutting across sectors in medicine, agriculture, and sanitation, employers are convinced like never before to reach a consensus with existing disabled workers requesting remote work or hire new batches of PWD remote workers.  

As more and more employers see that working from home is possible for many jobs, they have become more open to allowing PWD workers to work from home. This bodes well not only for PWDs but also for workers recuperating from minor surgeries, women whose cultural environments disallow them from going out to work, college students seeking extra income, parents with young children, travelers who want to keep their jobs, and all kinds of people in all kinds of situations to continue working or find work. 

Genashtim’s Virtual Office Training (VOT) prepares company recruits for maximum efficiency as remote workers. Despite over 70% of the company’s staff being PWDs, Genashtim doesn’t advertise it to their clients. Employees are expected to perform, and client satisfaction is paramount. This is an example of remote disabled workers proving they are as committed, dedicated, and dynamic as on-site able-bodied and disabled workers. 

Overall, the pandemic helped to change attitudes about working from home for PWD workers. However, there is still some way to go before all PWD workers have equal access to remote work. Employers need to be more aware of disability inclusion and be more willing to provide reasonable accommodations to PWD workers who request to work from home. 

Kickstart your remote career – only at JEDI Jobs. 

With a targeted approach to prioritize PWD remote employment, JEDI Jobs offers remote positions from global employers. Created to empower and revolutionize through remote, sustainable, gainful, and meaningful employment, JEDI Jobs shares Genashtim’s mission and vision to employ individuals from disadvantaged groups. 

It doesn’t matter if you’re a disabled on-site worker vying to start working from home or a fresh PWD graduate looking for a remote position, JEDI Jobs has it covered. Register here NOW. JEDI Jobs is the right place to start your remote career! 

If you’re an employer who wants to strengthen your diversity and inclusion policies or aspires to do business with a heart, JEDI Jobs beckons you! Register here NOW and hire qualified, skilled, high-quality candidates to fill your remote vacancies. 

The wait is over! Hop onboard the post-pandemic remote work bandwagon to create an equal and equitable world. No one should be left out of the workforce or face difficulties finding proper employment due to unfavorable circumstances.