Dear readers, this week we took a look at how the push for inclusivity has transformed workplaces in America...
Able-bodied people rarely recognize the value of accessible features in their everyday lives: sliding doors, curb cuts that help people with strollers and bikes, standing desks, single stall bathrooms. But many are the result of a protracted fight for equality for people with disabilities.
Every day, writes Carly Stern, Americans navigate spaces that were transformed by decades of disability rights activism. Now, as the coronavirus pandemic forces businesses to adapt to a new reality of social distancing, almost all workers suddenly find themselves needing extensive accommodations to keep working. And many companies have been quick to make changes.
For some people with disabilities this momentum is bittersweet.
The swift changes have affirmed the kinds of workplace policies the disability movement has been pushing for decades, but are accompanied by the frustration that employers take notice as soon as their non-disabled staff express these needs.
“If able-bodied people need it, it’s just the price of doing business as normal,” said Deborah Dagit, a disability and inclusion expert.
What do you think? We'd love to hear from you. Cheers, Laura, Amanda and Kyla |