The widespread working from home was one of the defining experiences of the Covid pandemic.  It’s an experience that was generally welcomed by people, but is particularly welcome for people with chronic medical conditions, mobility impairments, or other disabilities.

Despite that, a recent paper from the Rutgers Program for Disability Research suggests that such people are often locked out of working from home, not least due to the fact that a disproportionate number of people with disabilities work in places like retail stores, restaurants, and factories, where obviously remote work is not an option.

“This is the disability issue that no one is talking about and it’s enormous,” the researchers say. “People with disabilities are funneled into blue-collar and service jobs, where the pay is lower and flexible work options are virtually nonexistent. If they have greater access to the kinds of jobs that can be done from home, the pandemic could have a silver lining for the disability community in the long run.”

Unequal access

This is important, as the employment rate for people with disabilities is already incredibly low, and stands at around 20%.  What’s more, this figure fell during the pandemic, with around 400,000 people fewer working than before the pandemic.

The analysis found that people with disabilities are more likely to work in service sectors and blue-collar work than people without disabilities.  This meant that just 20% of people with disabilities worked from home during the pandemic, with nearly all of these in white-collar roles.

To further explore the issue, the researchers have developed the Rehabilitation Research and Training Center at Rutgers to further explore how people with disabilities are disadvantaged in their careers.

“This center offers us the chance to explore aspects of organizational practices, such as how company DEI statements influence their workplace culture and hiring processes,” the team says. “The goal is to follow through on the spirit of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and provide truly equal opportunities for people with disabilities, across the board.”