After generations of being overlooked and sidelined in the job market, Americans with disabilities are enjoying an unprecedented employment boom — thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Experts see a struggle coming with consequences not only for the disabled, but also for the whole U.S. economy. And the resolution may only come through legal battles and a fresh look at the nation’s landmark antidiscrimination law, the Americans With Disabilities Act.Since the pandemic began, employment of people with disabilities is up nearly 25%, to more than 7.3 million workers last month, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The commute was just two miles from his home, but Rawlings got up at 5 a.m. to make it to work by 8. It took that long for him to get ready and into his powered wheelchair to the bus stop and to his desk. It was even harder on rainy days; he needed someone to help him put on his poncho before heading out.In March, Rawlings started a new job as an education organizer for Hand in Hand, which assists domestic workers. The newly created position is fully remote.
Yet for all the gains made since the pandemic, disability rights advocates say many capable people with disabilities remain unemployed or underemployed because employers fear they will be too costly or lack adequate services to support their employment. Disabled workers worry that the momentum built will be lost now that the economy is turning down.. And a growing number of companies are instructing their employees to return to the office, at least part time.
“It’s good that we now have this option, but it’s also heartbreaking that it took so long and that it happened overnight. And it was possible all along,” said Charles-Edourad Catherine, director of corporate and government relations at the National Organization on Disability. In past years, Mobley had sometimes worked from home, and the staff he supervised mostly worked remotely. Mobley got solid performance reviews.
He argued that he “has a disability that makes him vulnerable to COVID-19. Thus, working from an office while the pandemic is still ongoing would create an unacceptable risk to his health and life.”
To contact Lithuanian/American author Marc O'Brien email marcobrien30aol.com
Here is something to ponder 'can health and science academic departments compare disabled working from home with convicts writing books in prison?'