Inclusivity | GeorgMedia

Rachel Christian say remote work has greatly improved career opportunities for the blind and low-vision community.

Rachel Christian

Rachel Christian is a journalist and personal finance writer based Central Florida.
As someone who is legally blind, Christian says remote work has been a game-changer for her career.
At home, she can control her work environment and not worry about transportation or feeling self-conscious in front of coworkers.
See more stories on Insider’s business page.

As someone in the blind and low-vision community, the expansion of remote work has been an economic game-changer.

Normally, people with visual impairments face major hurdles in the workforce, from overcoming hiring discrimination to securing reliable transportation – less than half of US adults with visual impairments were in the labor force in 2019.

Transportation is often a major barrier to steady employment for the blind and visually impaired

A survey by the American Federation for the Blind found that 38% of people with blindness or low vision had turned down a job because of transportation concerns.

I experienced this first-hand as a 21-year-old college student. I was a year-and-a-half from graduation and a prestigious daily newspaper internship was at my fingertips.

I’d been freelancing for the paper for a semester, and had built a rapport with the news editor. I submitted my resume and clips, and cinched the interview.

Completing an online application was the final step. It was just a formality, the editor told me.

I breezed through it until I hit a seemingly mundane question: Do you have a valid driver’s license?

My heart sank. My vision has been deteriorating since I was 15 years old due to a rare retinal disease called cone dystrophy. There’s no cure. But I’ve adapted. I learned how to adjust the contrast, brightness, and zoom on my computer and smartphone to be able to excel in college.

Despite overcoming these challenges, I still didn’t have a driver’s license. I still don’t. I’ve never even driven a car.

I told the truth on the application. A few days later, the editor informed me the internship was off the table. The driver’s license requirement was corporate policy. Interns often went out on assignment – you had to have a car. His hands were tied, he said.

I went on to land a different internship, but that missed position still haunted me. I’d been so close to my goal, and was disqualified simply because I couldn’t drive.

Transportation remained a chronic pain point throughout my career. Without a car, certain opportunities were eliminated. If a job wasn’t near a bus or train stop, it didn’t matter how well qualified I was. It wasn’t an option.

About six months after starting a job at the marketing firm, the pandemic hit. My company went fully remote, like so many others across the country.

The transition to remote work changed my life – for the first time, I could completely control my work environment

I no longer struggled to see my computer screen in the sun-drenched window-filled office. I could keep my apartment as dark as a cave without inconveniencing anyone, and if I needed to lean forward and squint at my monitor, I didn’t feel self-conscious or worry about what my coworkers might think.

My writing speed spiked. I made fewer mistakes. I picked up extra assignments and added two hours to my day previously lost to commuting.

The shift to remote work can make disabilities much less visible. My accommodations are already on my computer, so my coworkers don’t even realize assistive technology is in place.

In the past, companies only hired people who lived within commuting distance of the office

This capped the pool of candidates to a tight geographic area, limiting the employment options and the earning potential of workers – especially those with low vision.

Due to the pandemic, that’s no longer the case. Now, having a polished online portfolio and web presence goes much further than handshakes at happy hour meet-ups.

I experienced this firsthand about a month ago when a recruiter messaged me on LinkedIn about a senior writer position with a personal finance website. The office was an hour and a half away, but to attract qualified candidates, the company had made the position fully remote.

I applied and got the job because of my experience, skillset, and personality – the way it’s supposed to be.

I haven’t told my new employer about my vision impairment because, for the first time, it doesn’t matter

My home office is customized and adapted to my needs. I’ve mastered the technology that helps me do my job. I still have occasional hiccups with Zoom, but hey, don’t we all?

There’s no need to hide my disability – but there’s no need to disclose it yet either. A lack of transportation won’t hinder my ability to write or get to work on time.

Of course, the pandemic hasn’t leveled the playing field for all blind workers – only those who are proficient with technology and work a desk job. Still, more jobs than ever are going remote, from customer service to writing to data entry.

To expand inclusivity to more people in the blind and low-vision community, companies need to do their part. Employers should audit their own accessibility capabilities and establish inclusive initiatives for remote employees with disabilities.

It’s also on the employee to educate themselves and their employers on accessible technology. If you have low vision, work with state agencies and nonprofits such as the Lighthouse to gain the proper training, education, and equipment you need to succeed. Don’t be afraid to ask what low-vision aids or other devices your company may provide you.

Working with a disability is never easy. But the current labor market positions people impacted by vision loss to excel in a remote work world. For the millions of US adults with a vision impairment, inclusion and newfound economic opportunity may be the greatest perk of a remote work world.

Rachel Christian is a journalist and personal finance writer in Central Florida.

Read the original article on Business Insider

two men talking to friends — Showing that you care about LGBTQIA+ rights will make your coworkers feel heard and seen.
Thomas Barwick/DigitalVision/Getty

46% of LGBTQ workers say they’re still closeted at work because of a multitude of fears and issues.
You can make their work environment more inclusive by not making assumptions and being considerate.
Treat the LGTBQ community the same as everyone by asking about their partner, but don’t be nosy.
See more stories on Insider’s business page.

The LGBTQ community loves and appreciates the support of our straight allies, whether you’re marching in a parade with us or voting for candidates who promise to protect marriage equality. But there’s one place where we still desperately need your help – and that’s at work.

According to a Human Rights Campaign Foundation report, 46% of LGBTQ workers say they’re still closeted at work. You can’t blame them. Many fear reprisals from unsupportive managers, hear homophobic jokes, or feel isolated and excluded, among other issues.

If you really want to be the best ally at work, there are subtle but deeply appreciated things you can do to show your LGBTQ coworkers that they can be their full selves around you – and more importantly, that they’re valued. Here are 11 things you can do tomorrow, or right now, per an informal polling of all my favorite LGBTQ friends.

1. First, don’t make assumptions

You can’t tell anything LGBTQ-related simply by looking at someone.

“I’ve had to come out at every job I’ve ever had because I look so ‘straight,'” said Nikki Levy, an entertainment executive at a studio and the creator of “Don’t Tell My Mother!” “I am engaged. I wear a ring. When you want to know things like how we met, ask, ‘How did you meet your partner?’ as opposed to, ‘How did you meet him?’ I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve been apologized to because of their assumptions about my non-existent husband.”

In general, don’t assume anything, said Liz Glazer, a lesbian comic. It’s a tip from “The Four Agreements” by Don Miguel Ruiz and it “goes for pronouns, partner status, whatever. Work environments would be friendlier, and frankly, people would be more humble and better to be around, if this was a thing people did more, or less, as the case may be,” Glazer said. As Ruiz wrote, have the courage to ask questions and communicate to avoid misunderstandings.

2. Let me come out when I’m ready

It’s still very difficult for some LGBTQ folks to come out at work, for a variety of reasons, from serious safety concerns to being peppered with annoying questions by the ill-informed.

“I told one guy at my office about my girlfriend, and he started acting weird,” said Ganee Berkman, a dental hygienist. “He asked if a guy had ever hurt me, and why a girl who looked like me would be gay. That set me back so far and made me super nervous to come out to people.”

Even if a coworker is out to you, that doesn’t mean they are out to everyone. They may choose not to tell certain folks at work because it makes their lives easier. Once they are out to you, feel free to ask them (privately) if everyone else knows. If not, be extra aware of how you speak to and about them at work, so you don’t out them, even by accident.

3. Go ahead, ask about my partner

Once someone is out, have the same conversations and ask the same questions you’d ask a straight or cisgender person about their personal life. The worst thing you can do is ignore it, like it’s the giant elephant in the room.

“I’ve encountered coworkers who know I’m gay, but never ever bring up my personal life,” Berkman said. “I don’t like that. If they’re quiet about it, it makes me feel like I need to hide it.”

Another thing she’s encountered is people lowering their voices when talking to her about gay stuff, as if it’s taboo. “Don’t whisper,” she said. “It makes it seem like even talking about gay stuff is bad. Use normal volume.”

4. But don’t be too nosy

It’s great to have conversations with your fellow LGBTQ coworkers about their lives outside of the office, as long as it’s appropriate for the workplace. “Don’t ask how I [knew] I was gay,” said Chloe Curran, a writer. “It’s weird.”

LGBTQ folks often get bombarded with questions that are overly personal or intimate, like when did we tell our parents, how do we have sex, or which body parts do we still have or not have. Levy, who is getting married in August, has been asked too many times if she and her future wife “are both wearing dresses” to their wedding.

The worst is when coworkers try to play matchmaker. We know you’re excited you know at least two gay people, but that doesn’t mean we will be even slightly attracted or have anything in common. “Oh, hey are you single? What’s your type? I know someone…” Ever Mainard, an actor/comic who has also worked as a production assistant, hears it all the time. “I know it’s well-meaning, but it’s mostly off-putting and insulting.”

5. Sure, tell me about your other gay friends

We might not want to be set up, but we don’t mind knowing you have other gay friends or family members. If you come out as an ally, as soon as humanly possible, we love that. We feel understood, safe, seen. A for effort!

Berkman, for example, didn’t know her favorite office manager had a gay daughter for a year and a half. “She always showed me so much love and understanding, and I finally found out why. I would’ve loved for her to tell me way sooner,” she said.

“I actually think it’s adorable when people find out that I’m gay, then start telling me about their one gay friend or their one encounter with anything gay,” Berkman said. “It seems cheesy, but I actually appreciate that they’re trying to show support even though they might not have a lot of experience with gay people. Things like that make me feel 10,000 times more comfortable than people who stop talking to me after I come out to them. The ones who get awkwardly super excited and enthusiastic after finding out are the ones who make me the happiest.”

6. Don’t only talk about my sexuality or gender

Of course, there’s a limit to how much we want to talk about all of this. Being LGBTQ is obviously a huge part of our lives, but it’s not the only thing.

“I have had the privilege of working in a few settings where my sexual orientation felt about as relevant as my hair color – that is, irrelevant,” said Aaron Chapman, a medical director in Alameda County in northern California. “Being gay neither moved me ahead nor held me back. I was neither a victim of discrimination nor a token of progressivism. That was a privilege.”

What we as a community have been fighting so hard for is to have the same rights and be treated as anyone else, adds Eugene Huffman, an artist and paralegal. “Treat them as you would any other person – that they are a person, and LGBTQ is just one facet of who they are, not the entire picture,” Huffman said. “We have enough things that already make us feel different, we don’t need to add to it.”

7. Educate yourself

“Don’t ask me to be your educator,” said Tre Temperilli, who works on Democratic political campaigns and identifies as gender ambivalent. “We all have to lift. So roll up your sleeves and Google some things. Participate in your own evolution.”

Stay on top of what is going on with the LGBTQ community in the news. Can we be fired for being gay? Can homophobes still refuse to make wedding cakes for us? Which bathrooms are we allowed to go in? Can we serve in the military or not? It’s exhausting being the teacher/expert on all things gay. If you want to be an ally, do a little homework on your own.

Also, “don’t assume that just because someone is gay that they know everything about the LGBTQ community,” said Aaron Rasmussen, a writer. “It’s large [and] diverse and everyone has their own individual experience and story to tell.”

8. Make an effort with my pronouns

Those of us in the LGBTQ community who are transgender and gender fluid deal with a lot of confusion, bias, and misunderstanding on a daily basis. At work, it can be especially stressful.

“Being nonbinary is slightly more difficult for people to wrap their heads around because they go, ‘Wait, you’re not a man or a woman?'” said Samee Junio, who identifies as nonbinary. It’s much less “accepted” than being just “gay” or “lesbian.”

If you find it hard to adjust to a person’s pronouns, the best thing to do is to keep trying. “The excuse I hear most frequently from some is, ‘I’m old, this is all new to me,'” said Temperilli, who goes by he/him and they. “That’s fine, but after the third time I’m like, DUDE!”

Don’t be scared to ask if you’re not sure what pronouns someone uses. Temperilli believes most trans folks don’t mind answering, “but for all that is holy, don’t keep misgendering someone because you find it ‘too hard.’ It can be hurtful and as we know, respect is a two-way street,” they said. “What seems hard for you is likely a trillion times harder for the person you’re not seeing when you misgender trans folks.”

You can take it one step further by helping communicate your coworker’s pronouns to others. Junio goes by they/them and works with new people constantly on different shows as the head of the tech department at Dynasty Typewriter at the Hayworth, a performance venue in Los Angeles. It often feels like a burden having to repeatedly explain the pronoun situation – so they don’t.

“My bosses know and they prep everyone before they meet me,” they said. “There should be more of that in the workplace. I’m fortunate to have an incredible employer and the other employees correct people for me, too.”

9. Stick up for me

“If you hear a coworker misgender a trans person or call them the wrong name outside that person’s presence, call them out, if you know the trans person is out to them and it is safe to do so,” said Charlie Arrowood, who identifies as trans or nonbinary and is the director of Name & Gender Recognition at Transcend Legal.

If you hear someone tell a homophobic joke, again, don’t let it slide. Call them out, plus report it to HR. That’s how things change.

10. Show you care about the LGBTQ community

There are so many small but significant ways to do this. For example, you could encourage your office to sponsor a float in your local pride parade, or if that’s already in the works, you can show up to march.

“At San Francisco Pride many of the workplace marching groups are like 50% straight supporters,” Chapman said. “It is cool to see straight coworkers come out to celebrate.”

Maybe less fun but even more impactful would be to look at your employee insurance policy and, if there is an exclusion for transgender care, “use your cisgender capital and privilege to ask your employer to remove it,” Arrowood said.

11. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes

“It is critical that employees consciously cultivate an LGBTQ-inclusive workplace,” said Kelly Dermody, employment practice group chairperson at the law firm Lieff, Cabraser, Heimann, & Bernstein. You might make some good faith mistakes along the way – that’s OK! “Ask, clarify, apologize, if necessary,” Dermody said, “but keep making the effort to be a place [where] LGBTQ employees and their friends, families, and allies want to work.”