BUFFALO, N.Y. — For Alex Jusko, an advocacy support professional working remotely has been welcomed, as navigating with cerebral palsy isn’t always easy. Working for People Inc. also helps, as the company realizes the value of remote work for people with disabilities in the long run. The question is whether other corporations will.

“I am concerned, beyond People Inc., that other businesses won’t be as accommodating in that way," Jusko said. "I’m afraid that it’ll become more of a struggle for other people with disabilities that are looking for jobs, in general, that they won’t have the opportunities that I have.”


What You Need To Know

  • Due to safety precautions surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, many organizations required employees to work remotely, which helped create job opportunities for some people with disabilities

  • As vaccination rates rise and infection rates fall, more positions are returning to on-site locations

  • Changes could potentially threaten the employment of those who rely largely on remote environments

  • By the end of 2020, people with disabilities saw an overall decrease in employment rates

Early in the pandemic, employment rates for people with disabilities had seen a slight increase, largely due to positions being created or modified to suit remote work. However, employment rates for disabled people had actually decreased overall by 1.4% by the end of 2020. As more workplaces transition back to on-site positions due to high vaccination rates and decreasing COVID-19 cases, what will this mean for those who are better suited to work remotely?

“I would like to think that once a person proves to their employer that they can do the job and that they’re a value to the company, that that company is going to do what’s necessary to keep that person on,” said Jim Jowsey, Alex’s life coach. “Because even outside of the disability community, you can go anywhere and there are people looking for employees.”

As a certified life coach and spiritual coach, Jusko also advocates for people creating their own dream jobs to not only help meet their personal needs, but to fulfill their passions as well.

“I’m an entrepreneur myself, so one of the things I truly enjoy is exploring beyond the traditional workforce,” Jusko said. “So if there are people with disabilities out there that are interested in that, there are opportunities out there. You just need to create them for yourself.”