Technology is better than it’s ever been. Why are we going back to the office?

I’ve been working from home since 2001, both as a self-employed person and then as an employee.

Back then, I worked on a computer monitor that used cathode ray technology in the same style that old televisions were made. And I had to rely on dial-up internet too, which caused considerable frustration and frequent shouting - complete with swear words - while awaiting the download of a website or email.

When I began working from home at the beginning of the century, not many people did. I knew it to be largely done by farmers (something I knew about from growing up on a farm), salespeople (my father worked from home when he was in the insurance industry) and other small business people including, for example, dairy owners who lived either above or behind their shops.

For the vast majority of people in 2001, getting to and from work involved travelling via car, truck, bus, van, motorcycle or walking. The end point of every commute was arrival at a physical place of work where workers actually shared their day with fellow employees enjoying everything from camaraderie through to the inevitable workplace politics.

At the beginning, I found myself isolated due to not being at a physical workplace. However, having gone back to work in an office for two years in the mid-2000s, while it was great to be surrounded by actual humans, I came to resent the office politics.

Despite the issues that faced me, I was determined to make another go of home working!

Making it work for me

As many home workers will attest, some of the keys to success include having accessible technology, a private space to work and, most importantly, a supportive employer.

Other than a large monitor (my eyesight ain’t what it used to be), I have an ergonomic keyboard, however, after having been a touch typist since secondary school, as the years go by, I’m increasingly considering using voice dictation software. I also have an electronic desk that can be either raised or lowered, meaning that I can fit all my wheelchairs underneath without any hassles.

I’d like to blow the trumpet of my current employer, Disabled Persons Assembly (DPA) which has fully embraced remote working from home as both I and nearly all my colleagues (including chief executive Mojo Mathers) are disabled people working from various locations around Aotearoa.

For me and my co-workers, remote working has been a real boon for our ability to undertake tasks effectively, efficiently and in a way that suits our needs.

But as we all know, none of this comes cheap. So to ensure I had access to the equipment I needed, I turned to the Ministry of Social Development’s Job and Training Support Funds (then administered through Workbridge) that helped me pay for my electronic desk and money for taxis for those all-important face-to-face meetings when necessary.

Staying connected

One of the downsides of remote working can be social isolation. I’ve had times when not a single person has called into my house for days at a time - except when various disability support or work-related visitors have dropped in.

At times like these, I have found salvation in the requirement to physically attend work-related meetings as this has helped to relieve any social isolation I’ve been experiencing. 

And that’s why it’s also important for anyone working from home - whether they are disabled or not - to engage in social activities outside of it.

I’ve been lucky in having a good group of friends to socialise with at the pub every Wednesday night and am well connected to community groups, including the Dunedin Astronomical Society.

In fact, star-gazing has been a great stress reliever for me. Looking at the heavens through my long-range binoculars (as telescopes are not the most wheelchair-friendly devices) reminds me that there is more to the world than just ourselves. I highly recommend it!

Let’s not lose all the momentum we’ve built 

My hope for the future is that more disabled people and employers embrace home working. 

Workplaces are starting to recall employees back to the office as the supposed threat from Covid-19 recedes. 

However, I don’t think this trend will last due to technological advances, an ageing population, increased worker resistance to being recalled to the office and climate change demanding less commuting. 

And because of this, I hope more employers will come to see the sense in giving their employees the option to work from home.

I don’t want to lose the momentum that has come from me and others being able to work more flexibly than ever before. And that’s why home working should remain the wave of the future for every disabled person who would benefit from it.