The Curb Cut Effect and Migraines
The image shows a scene with a group of anthropomorphic foxes engaging in various activities. A fox in a wheelchair is using a curb cut (a small ramp where the sidewalk meets the street), making it easier to navigate. Nearby, a fox pushing a baby stroller also benefits from the same curb cut. Other foxes, pushing a baby stroller, riding a bicycle, using a scooter, an older fox with a cane, and a fox pushing a cart of boxes up all illustrate how inclusive design elements, originally meant to assist individuals with disabilities, also benefit a variety of users.
I'm disabled and remote work has made my career possible.
Do you know how hard it is to type that sentence? ^^^ I'm sure many of you do.
I'm presenting a workshop at the Disabiltiy:IN Utah conference next week and I am feeling a little hippocritcal about not wanting to talk about my own disabilities. I'm still wrapping my head around my late diagnosis with ADHD, and it's one I talk about more, but the more impactful disability in my life is migraines.
The attached picture is The Curb Cut Effect - it's the idea that when you make something more accessible for a person with disability it improves life for everyone.
Remote work is one of these things. Remote work is an essential accomodation for persons with disabilities - AND - it improves the lives of the rest of the team. Becasue I was a software engineer for most of my career, I've had access to work remotely since 1998. Yes, 1998.
I worked for MCI - just outside of Washington, DC and part of my job was doing code deployments to production. I'll never forget the first time I was given a laptop so that I could deploy from home, at night. It was amazing. Ok, objectively slow and awful, this is 1998, after all, but amazing.
Having migraines means that some days I need to be in a dark room. Some days I need to sleep and work odd hours. Some days I'm catching up because my meds failed and my productivity was destroyed. I've also driven in to the office, or stayed there, waaaay too many times when I was too sick to do so because of the pressure to be "in office."
And, honestly? I'm one of the lucky ones.
When I see companies cutting back on remote workers and demanding a certain amount of days in the office it breaks my heart for everyone on their teams that will be affected.
Here's the kicker, I would never have said I was 'disabled' in the past. It's an ableist lie I told myself - AND I still benefitted from the accomdation I so desperately needed to succeed.
Removing remote work returns the stigma for your disabled team members.
Please, for the love of Grace Hopper, stop doing this to your teams.
I'd love to hear your thoughts on how remote work and other "curb cuts" have benefitted you - let me know in the comments!
#CurbCutEffect #InclusiveAgile #DisabilityInclusion
