How The Pandemic Helped Make The Workplace More Accessible

As the world sifts through the lessons of Covid-19, it’s hard not to dwell on the pandemic’s impact on the disability community. By last summer, with lockdowns in place and unemployment soaring, more than 1 million workers with disabilities had lost their jobs—roughly 20 percent of the disability workforce in the United States. That was far worse than the impact on the workforce in general.?

?There are many reasons why the pandemic economy was so hard on those with physical and mental disabilities. The retail sector, for example, in which so many had found work, was especially damaged by lockdowns. But there is a silver lining: Many of the adjustments that businesses made during the scramble toward “work from home” actually benefit people with disabilities. If those adjustments can be retained and improved upon, there is real potential to create an economy that is more accommodating for everyone, one in which the talents of those with disabilities are better utilized.

Countless companies found that they could stay productive with video calls, an option that kept workers in touch with one another and their customers without travel time or costs. I hear many companies saying they will never go back fully to the “old ways.” Nor should they, especially considering how beneficial these changes are to people with disabilities, for whom travel and commuting may be more problematic. But it’s not just that: The ability to add captions and even American Sign Language interpreters during video calls is a game changer for people who are deaf or hard of hearing, as well as for some without disabilities, like those for whom English is a second language.

?I understand why some people hate working remotely and don’t like video calls. Face-to-face interaction is wonderful, and it’s okay to miss it, if for no other reason than how much harder it is to read body language from the neck up. But considering how much those with disabilities gain from video, I can’t imagine businesses putting that tool back in the box. It gives companies the ability to hire a person anywhere to do almost any job—good news for any business.

?There’s another silver lining to the pandemic, what I would call a richer common experience. Over the past 14 months of living through life threatening risks, political unrest and economic hardship, many people have experienced isolation, depression and other health problems. In response, good companies have been more supportive on work/life-balance matters by improving things like emotional wellbeing support, providing “relief days” to deal with unexpected events or offering access to expert elder- and child-care coordinators. They have encouraged their managers to have authentic conversations with their people, to be more accommodating and flexible. In short, many workplace cultures have become more transparent about personal vulnerabilities, while also being more empathetic and supportive. Take this research on inclusive mental health best practices as an example. ?

For the disability community, that is precisely what is so often lacking at work: the flexibility, empathy and accommodation we need to do our best. Other groups—women, people of color, members of the LGBTQ community, to name a few—have experienced a lack of accommodation as well. I see real potential for that to change because of the pandemic.

Not to make light of what people have been through, but I think more people now understand what it’s like to manage through limitations, to face roadblocks when trying to do their best work, to require accommodations to get through the workday. When people of goodwill really understand what it’s like to walk in someone else’s shoes, they adjust, they help.??

The pandemic has been terrible, but it forced business to encourage creative solutions to new problems and accept long-overdue cultural shifts. My guess—and my hope—is that we’ll hold on to these positive developments long after Covid-19 is at last behind us.?

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