Unemployment has risen during the pandemic for all workers throughout the U.S.; however, people with disabilities have been hit particularly hard. According to new research from the New Hampshire University Institute on Disability, nearly 1 million workers with disabilities have become unemployed since the pandemic was officially declared in March of 2020. Here, we take a look at two perspectives on how COVID has impacted workers with disabilities, as well as future influences that may shape employment prospects.
The Negative Toll
Prior to the pandemic, up to 85% of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) were unemployed. Due largely to the pandemic, job numbers for workers with disabilities were lower in 2020 than in 2019. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that, since March, 1 in 5 workers with disabilities were laid off or furloughed from their jobs; whereas within the general population, that number was only 1 in 7.
Some of the reasons for this disparity in job loss include:
- During the pandemic, employers looking to lay off or furlough workers would often start with the most recently hired, which in many cases, were workers with disabilities.
- Prior to the pandemic, many people with disabilities found employment in the retail, food, and hospitality industries. Unfortunately, these industries suffered some of the hardest setbacks due to COVID.
- Individuals with disabilities receiving assistance from a caregiver or direct service professional (DSP) to do their jobs were unable to work if those support providers fell ill.
- Workers with disabilities were sometimes considered too at-risk to work in areas where they would be exposed to the general public, which led to being furloughed earlier in the pandemic.
- Although granting new hires the ability to work remotely could be considered a reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act, some employers have been reluctant to do so for new employees.
- Employers have also expressed hesitancy about hiring workers with disabilities, many of whom are at greater risk to COVID due to underlying conditions, because they worry the necessary accommodations for those employees will be too expensive.
The Silver Lining
Despite the negative economic impact of the pandemic on workers with disabilities, there have also been positive outcomes of employment experienced by people with I/DD.
For example, some businesses or organizations who lost essential workers expanded their hiring pool, which pulled in more workers with disabilities. Hospitals, healthcare facilities, and grocery stores were some of the first places to establish strict precautions to prevent the spread of the virus. Those protocols led many people with I/DD (and their loved ones) to feel comfortable accepting jobs others had abandoned.
Advocates pushed hard to prioritize vaccines for individuals with disabilities, allowing many workers with disabilities to be fully vaccinated. This will enable individuals with I/DD to continue working in front-line and essential roles, while many people in the general population may have to wait longer to re-enter the workforce.
According to Andrew Houtenville, research director of the University of New Hampshire’s Institute on Disability, workers with disabilities overall have stayed consistently engaged with work for the entire pandemic. Much of this was due to businesses finding new ways to stay open and keep their workers busy, such as by offering curbside services, utilizing outside spaces for services, or using community donations to provide goods and services to those in need.
Future Influences
The Kessler Foundation reported that participation in the labor force for workers with disabilities increased between January and February, from 32.8% to 33.4%. This may be due to employers’ increased awareness that it’s time to use more inclusive hiring practices.
A group of high-profile companies known as “The Valuable 500” has made a public pledge to prioritize disability inclusion in their organizations. This year, a cohort of 13 members will be building an employment portal designed for workers with disabilities, conducting brand audits that focus on consumers with disabilities, and featuring accessibility skills in professional training programs.
Educational institutions, such as the University of Northern Colorado, are offering more programs and educational support to prepare people with disabilities for post-college employment. This builds on research from the University of Michigan, which noted significant employment benefits for students with disabilities who complete career and technical education programs.
Perhaps one of the most notable factors for the future employment for workers with disabilities is the planned increase in funding for home- and community-based services (HCBS) detailed in the American Rescue Plan, which has allocated $12.7 billion for HCBS through 2021.
This funding can assist workers with disabilities in finding and retaining jobs by enabling HCBS to:
- Pay for assistive technology and/or internet services, which can help people with I/DD work from home;
- Cover the cost of adaptations to vehicles so that people with disabilities can drive to work;
- Fund support staff, such as job coaches, who can support individuals with disabilities while at work to ensure they are fulfilling their roles successfully; and
- Cover the cost of personal care attendants or home aides, who can help with bathing, dressing, food prep, and household chores, so that employees with disabilities can feel ready for their work day.
Employers interested in assessing their commitment to disability equality and inclusion in their hiring practices can take the Disability Equality Index to determine the effectiveness of their efforts and build a plan for the future.