36 DIVERSEability Magazine www.diverseabilitymagazine.com
CAREERS A person with a disability who may be at a disadvantage in the workplace may now find it easier to secure an at-home job for which accommodations are not even required; their homes are already set up for their needs.
home. I love working for a company like Celgene that allows me to connect and help people nationwide. Thomas is the perfect example of what NTI@Home can do for people with disabilities who want to be a part of the workforce but often find obstacles in their way. NTI@Home has long recognized these barriers and helped people within the disability community find an alternate path to employment. The COVID-19 pandemic has only accelerated their ability to help Americans with disabilities find remote work with competitive pay. The nonprofit recently expanded their mission to serve not only people receiving disability benefits from the Social Security Administration, but also any American with a documented disability, including those with invisible disabilities and chronic health conditions like asthma, COPD, PTSD, and cancer, to name just a few. In 1990, the Americans with Disabilities Act empowered more workers with disabil- ities to work from home, said Alan Hub- bard, COO of NTI. But now the economic situation created by the COVID-19 crisis has opened the doors for thousands of disabled Americans to enter the workforce. After making the adjustment to working as a remote customer service agent following an injury, Adrian Galaviz, 38, of Corpus Christi, Texas, is a strong advocate for working-from- home. Galaviz had worked in the call center industry on site before a car accident in 2016 caused him to seek a telework opportunity. You have to treat it like you would any other job, said Galaviz. You have to be ready mentally, with no TV or radio in the area. I also dont have any Internet browsers open. It took a bit of time to get used to work- ing at home. It was different than going to a brick-and-mortar store, as there were so many distractions. For the one in four Americans who live with a disability, the opportunity to work from home after completing NTI@Homes free training allows many benefits: a flexible schedule, a paying job in a reputable compa- ny, and an active role in the workforce. NTI@ Home is committed to helping and inspiring Americans with disabilities by sharing stories of individuals like Andrea Thomas and Adrian Galaviz, who now have successful careers working at home.
Source: Kate Brouse, https://twitter.com/NTIatHome
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