Workplace accommodations during the COVID-19 pandemic: A scoping review of the impacts and implications for people with disabilities

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has led to widespread changes in the way people work. Some of these changes represent the same kinds of work modifications or adjustments that have often been requested as workplace accommodations, and which may improve labour market and employment outcomes for people with disabilities. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this scoping review was to examine the literature on workplace accommodations in the pandemic and their impacts and implications for people with disabilities. METHODS: Following a search of six international databases, articles were selected by two reviewers, and data were abstracted in accordance with scoping review methodology. A thematic analysis was used to report the relevant findings. RESULTS: Thirty-seven articles met the inclusion criteria, and three main themes were identified: positive impacts of pandemic-related workplace accommodations on people with disabilities (e.g., improved accessibility, reduced stigma around workplace accommodations, rapid implementation of workplace accommodations, opportunities for advocacy); negative impacts (e.g., worsened physical and mental health, new accommodation needs); and action needed and recommendations (e.g., revisit legislation and policy on accommodations, ensure representation of people with disabilities). Overall, our review identified a mixed assessment of the impacts of pandemic-related accommodations on people with disabilities. However, there was a broader consensus regarding the importance of learning from the experiences of the pandemic to improve workplace accommodation policies in the future. CONCLUSIONS: The pandemic may present opportunities for improving workplace accommodation policies, but our review also highlights the need for more research examining how workplace changes due to the COVID-19 pandemic have impacted people with disabilities.

Assistive Technology’s Potential to Improve Employment of People with Disabilities

“…People with disabilities themselves report positive effects of employer accommodations (22). A review of 37 studies on pandemic-related workplace accommodations found that the pandemic had both positive impacts (e.g., reduced stigma from accommodations, and more rapid implementation) and negative impacts (e.g., new accommodation needs) on accommodations for people with disabilities (23). These bene ts and costs may be particularly salient for certain groups such as neurodiverse individuals, for whom telework has been found to help create accessible workspaces and resolve tensions between productivity and wellbeing, but also create communication problems in a virtual environment (24,25,26).…”

Workplace Accommodations and the Labour Force Status of Persons with Disabilities

“…There are multiple social barriers to the employment disadvantages that PWD experience, but a reluctance of organizations to provide accommodations is a common barrier [5][6]. Workplace accommodations refer to changes in work arrangements (e.g., exible schedules), provision of assistive technologies, modi cations to workplaces or workstations (e.g., ramps, ergonomic furniture), and organizational policies (e.g., telework) that enable PWD to obtain or retain jobs, perform their jobs effectively, and fully utilize their skills [7][8]. Workers with disabilities bene t from WPA through better employment opportunities and prolonged employment, which provide or increase their incomes, autonomy, and life satisfaction [9].…”

Continuing work in times of COVID-19: Protection measures in the workplace for health professionals

“…In Brazil, workers who have better socioeconomic conditions have left their homes and isolated themselves from their own families, and when they stay in hotels, they pay for the accommodation. In some isolated situations, municipalities have made it possible to pay for the accommodation of professionals [27,28]. For example, a private hospital in São Paulo agreed to a special contract with a hotel chain to serve doctors and nurses who live more than ten kilometers from work or who live with people in the risk group.…”

“…For example, a private hospital in São Paulo agreed to a special contract with a hotel chain to serve doctors and nurses who live more than ten kilometers from work or who live with people in the risk group. The Municipality of João Pessoa agreed with hotel companies to provide at least 50 rooms for professionals who needed to stay away from their homes [27,28].…”