Remote work is a term that many of us have become intimately familiar with over the past couple of years due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. And it’s likely to become an integral aspect of workplace culture and routine as we move forward. After all, the convenience and efficiency resulting from this approach have effectively improved what many consider the status quo of how, where, and when people can work best. Moreover, it proves that employees don’t necessarily have to be in the office and chained to their desks to be productive.
But beyond empowering workers and giving them better work-life balance, it’s also made work much more inclusive and accessible in many ways. In this post, we’ll discuss how the mass adoption of the work-from-home model can potentially improve web accessibility and its impact on work-related inclusivity.
Improved web accessibility
By now, everyone understands the barriers that those with disabilities face in the digital space. With this growing awareness, the need to adhere to WCAG and ADA guidelines, and the rise in assistive technologies like a website overlay that checks web pages for content that requires adjustments for better accessibility, the World Wide Web has become more inclusive than it ever has before. However, that's not to say that people with conditions that restrict their senses, movements, and activities have it easy — they still face a lot of challenges when browsing the internet.
The reason for this is that despite the importance of accessibility, there are still a considerable number of websites that fail to comply with accessibility guidelines. As a result, many of those with disabilities still have trouble consuming digital content. However, as more and more people start working from home, it'll shed some light on the community even more. In turn, this will lead to more online domain owners incorporating features into their sites, making their pages more accessible.
Promotes inclusivity
No one can deny that working remotely boasts countless benefits, from improving productivity to boosting happiness and wellbeing. It also opens up opportunities for businesses and candidates that would otherwise be closed. The approach can effectively drive down inequality through the creation of more equitable opportunities for employment for those who may have been excluded from career options due to certain situations.
In other words, it creates a more inclusive and diverse workforce which, as many seasoned entrepreneurs know, offers a range of different benefits. Apart from enabling an organization to perform at a higher level, it also creates a more reputable image in the eyes of consumers, leading to more sales and revenue.
Conclusion
The revolution of remote work has undoubtedly had an impact not only on inclusivity but web accessibility. Due to all of its advantages, it’s likely to stay long after the world has finally gotten over the coronavirus pandemic. And because it can significantly improve operational productivity in ways that traditional office environments cannot, it’s safe to say that businesses that choose to implement this model are likely to have an advantage over those that don’t.