Long left out of job market, people with disabilities benefit from COVID teleworking boom
After generations of being overlooked and sidelined in the job market, Americans with disabilities are enjoying an unprecedented employment boom — thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Widespread acceptance of remote working and an overall labor shortage have opened up historic opportunities for some of the nation's most skilled and underutilized workers.
"I'm proud to be able to go out and earn a living now, especially teleworking, and do it as a blind man," said Bobby Pellechia, 39, a data analyst in Central Texas who has had three remote jobs since the pandemic began, each time moving up in position and pay.
The question now is whether people with disabilities can hold on to those gains as a recession looms and more employers press their employees to come back to the office.
Experts see a struggle coming with consequences not only for the disabled, but also for the whole U.S. economy. And the resolution may only come through legal battles and a fresh look at the nation's landmark antidiscrimination law, the Americans With Disabilities Act.
Since the pandemic began,
