After becoming paralyzed in 2009, Beka Anardi never thought about working again…until the pandemic started in 2020.
As remote work became the norm, Anardi realized she could continue working as a recruiter. She sent her resumé to a few people in her network, and she was employed within a matter of weeks. She now works full-time from her house where she can avoid commuting altogether, comfortably navigate her wheelchair, and take care of her needs in the privacy of her own home.
42.5 million disabled Americans make up 13% of the civilian population, and are a valuable asset to the workforce.
People with disabilities suffered some of the worst job losses during the initial phase of the pandemic, but are now benefiting from the remote-work norm it created. Even as companies demand that employees return to the office, it is in the best interest of people with disabilities to continue offering remote working options.
“Companies are struggling to fill millions of open positions and are expanding their search to reach untapped pools of workers. The tight-as-a-drum labor market gives employers an incentive to maintain the remote-work benefit for disabled employees, which also helps companies diversify their workforces,” according to Bloomberg.
