Pre-pandemic, people with disabilities worldwide had enormous difficulty being hired. Then the pandemic arrived, and during the pandemic, employment of people with disabilities rose worldwide because employers were willing to agree to remote work to maintain productivity. Post-pandemic, the employment rate remains higher than pre-pandemic, but in the European Union, only 51.3% of persons with disabilities were employed in 2023 compared to 75.6% of persons without disabilities. The U.S. numbers are much lower, with 22.5% of persons with disabilities employed compared to 65.8% for those without disabilities. Still, on a positive note, the employment rate for people with disabilities is the highest ever recorded.
Yet employment levels alone don’t tell the whole story. The remote work model has had both positive and negative effects on persons with disabilities. Higher employment rates are encouraging but could be much higher if remote work was more accessible. In addition, persons with disabilities are more likely to be retained if inclusive practices embrace strategies to address the ongoing physical and psychological challenges of remote.
Positive Impacts of Remote Work
For many people with disabilities, remote work has meant finally getting much-needed employment. Due to special needs, like requirements for specialized goods and services, people with disabilities often have a higher cost of living. Most government disability programs leave people struggling to make ends meet. This is an especially acute frustration for those people with disabilities who are fully capable of working if work is made accessible, and especially for those whose main issue is a mobility challenge.
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