Considerations of Working With an Autoimmune Disability at the Semco Style Institute

About the Author

As a marketing associate with Semco Style, I have found this to be particularly true. I have arthritis, an autoimmune disease that leaves the joints in my body red, swollen, and painful. Sometimes arthritis can make it difficult for me to leave the house or drive my car. Working remotely at Semco has shown me how valuable the virtual work environment can be. Without the pressure of needing to commute to a job, I can work efficiently from the comfort of my own home.
Interning at Semco Style Institute, I have been able to work on my own time. With arthritis, I can get flare-ups, in which my symptoms are particularly painful. Because I have flexibility in my schedule, I am able to work productively when I am feeling well and rest when I need to. I also have the ability to work around important doctors’ appointments and physical therapy.
Semco Style Institute has made me feel that I am a valuable member of the team, regardless of my disability. Companies around the world can learn from the flexibility, autonomy, and generosity by which Semco Style Institute lives up to. For people with disabilities, the practicalities of in-person work can pose a barrier to effective and productive employment. Remote work could offer a viable solution: working from home could provide the flexibility and opportunity that people with disabilities need to thrive.

What does statistics say?

Working with a mental or physical impairment is a common issue for people across the globe. About 15% of the world’s population, or 1 billion people globally, have some type of disability. Disabilities can take many different forms – they can be intellectual, physical, or involve visual or hearing impairment, to name a few. Disabilities also greatly range in severity: while some people are only slightly affected, about 200 million people experience disabilities that interfere with their everyday life.

Although many people suffer from the complications of their impairments, people with disabilities do not represent a proportional number of the global workforce. The United Nations estimates that 50 to 70% of people with disabilities are unemployed in developed countries. In developing nations, the figures are even more bleak: only 10% of people with disabilities have jobs in some places.