The pandemic changed how millions of people live across the globe, including how they work. Work-from-home setup was a rare exception in the past, but it has become today’s new normal. The transition to work-from-home mode became difficult for companies in the beginning as they had to rush. Otherwise, it would delay the company’s operation. Employees with disabilities suffered the most during this transition.
The importance of ADA compliance to a remote work setup
More than 41 million of the population in the United States live with a disability. Those aged 35 to 64 make up 12.4%, which indicates a significant number of people of employment age. However, the demographics don’t accurately indicate the employment rate. It is mainly because there has been substantial underemployment of PWDs even before the pandemic.
But due to the growing rate of job vacancies, many companies opened jobs to workers with physical and mental limitations. It is why a significant number of people with disabilities now blend into the workforce.
Let the modern workforce work using their full potential. It raises the need for companies to embrace ADA compliance more than ever. It has also pushed companies to adopt inclusive practices, including hands-on and adequate training. Today, you can find software solutions online that determine whether a website complies with ADA standards or not. These software make websites accessible without changing the source code.
Building ADA-compliant work-from-home workspaces
Employers should promote ADA-compliant workspaces by ensuring that their employees have the tools for accessible work-from-home setup. Good thing that these tools are widely available. Below are the steps that employers can take for a more accessible workspace for employees with disabilities:
- Provide employees with things they need. Employers should ensure that their employees have the resources and technology they need at home. They should also encourage their employees to send suggestions, requests, or complaints if there are any.
- Evaluate tech platforms and how they are used. Companies should assess whether their employees can utilize communication tools well, virtual conferences, collaboration systems, and other systems. Employee feedback is necessary to answer these questions.
- Commit to website accessibility. Aside from your employees, allow your website to be completely accessible even to potential customers with disabilities. Nowadays, you can make faster strides by using accessibility software.
- Ask what they need. As an employer, you have to ensure that your employees work productively at home using the right tools. Determine the things required by standards like ADA and implement them in your company to create a workspace that values inclusion.
It’s been years since things have changed in the business world. Remote work became the new normal, which opened more possibilities for people with disabilities. But, complying with ADA standards, some businesses still believe that work can only be done correctly in a physical place. As a result, it leaves many people out of the workforce.
Conclusion
Ultimately, ADA standards have been around for many years. But, some companies are still lacking compliance with the said standard. The work-from-home mode has pushed many companies to find the most effective way to make their setups more accessible. Fortunately, compliance technologies are now available.
