Working from Home with Disabilities

While working from home isn’t the only option for those who are physically disabled, it has become an increasingly viable one. The internet helps to bridge the gap between distant employers and workers and has created a lot of promising job opportunities for people with disabilities.

eLogan

Textbroker Content Contributor

While working from home isn’t the only option for those who are physically disabled, it has become an increasingly viable one. What if you could take the same skills you use in the workplace and put them to use at home while getting paid to do so? Online employment can help overcome many of the difficulties of a traditional job: Working at your own pace, setting your schedule, and having full control over your work environment are just a few ways that people with physical limitations can benefit from a work-from-home opportunity. While the ADA can help individuals improve their working conditions and break allowances at a traditional job, the very nature of an on-site job with a commute can make it inconvenient for people with disabilities. The internet helps to bridge the gap between distant employers and workers and has created a lot of promising job opportunities for people with disabilities.

Why Work from Home?

For people like disabled veterans, handicapped people with limited mobility, and people with visual or auditory impairments, the ability to work from anywhere can significantly reduce work-related stress. Remote work gives you the flexibility to deal with changing health conditions, family crises, or relatives coming to town without putting your employment at risk. You set your own pace and schedule. While freelancing gigs usually have a deadline, you’ll often have the ability to negotiate the time frame and other details of the deal before taking it on. You can choose to go out of your way to accommodate a promising new client or only negotiate gigs that will work with your existing schedule. The sheer size of the gig economy means that there are always more fish in the sea, and when one opportunity doesn’t work out, there’s usually something else close behind. When working from home as a contractor, you are your own boss, and you can make the decisions that will affect your business.

Set your Schedule to Match your Needs

Do you prefer working days or nights, or something in between? If you keep unconventional hours or need to rest throughout the day, freelance work can accommodate your schedule instead of the other way around. Being paid on a per-job basis frees you up from tracking hours and worrying about sick and vacation days.

Tools at your Disposal

Technology has provided so many options for the physically disabled when it comes to remote work. For example, if you have visual disabilities, most modern operating systems have accessibility tools built in. Windows has the “Magnifier” application built in to help improve screen readability. Linux and macOS have similar tools in their accessibility settings. These operating systems also have high-contrast visual themes and font size settings available. Most operating systems support high-DPI monitors in low-density or visibility friendly modes, making even the smallest fonts comfortable to read. Blind people and those with more severe visual impairments will find that most work-from-home platforms are optimized for screen readers, which will read the contents of an application or web page out loud, making visual interaction unnecessary. Additionally, dictation software (often available for free in popular office suites like Google Docs) can help individuals with limited dexterity to write naturally and quickly.

What to Look for in an Online Job

The trick to finding safe, reliable online work is knowing what to look for. For first-time freelancers, this can obviously be a challenge. As great as an opportunity may sound, it is important to recognize a scam when you see one because, unfortunately, they do exist. The first rule of thumb is this: Never, ever pay for information, contacts, or anything connected with working from home. Legitimate jobs pay you; they don’t ask you to pay.

Look for opportunities that pay you on time using reliable and trusted payment methods. Agree on a price and payment time frame up front, and you get paid when you expect to. It’s important to find an opportunity that meets your needs and accommodates your schedule.

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