TITLE:
Examining the Impacts of the Pandemic on Work-from-Home for Individuals with Disabilities
AUTHORS:
Ahmad Jalal Nafakh, Abolfazl Kouros Mohammadian, Sybil Derrible, Ram M. Pendyala, Deborah Salon
KEYWORDS:
Pandemic, Work-from-Home, Disability
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Social Sciences,
Vol.10 No.13,
December
27,
2022
ABSTRACT: The
COVID-19 pandemic has impacted many lives in one way or another. The shift from
the typical workplace to a more remote work environment is arguably one of the
most noticeable impacts the pandemic has caused. This research explores whether
individuals with disabilities have been disproportionally impacted by the
pandemic and its corresponding measures enacted by officials to curb the spread
of the virus. More specifically, we examine working-from-home opportunities for
individuals with disabilities as they compare with individuals without
disabilities. A nationwide comprehensive and multi-wave survey, i.e., the COVID
Future survey, was collected, providing information about how the COVID-19 pandemic
impacted the lives of individuals. The results suggest that individuals with
disabilities are disproportionately impacted in realizing the benefits of
telecommuting. In general, individuals with disabilities were less likely to
have the option to work from home during the pandemic compared with their
counterparts without disabilities.