Article from our special
issue Le Parisien Economie
:
Disability at work, initiatives to follow
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“For me, who has an invisible disability, working from home is really great,” exclaims Sophie.
About ten years ago, this 48-year-old Parisian discovered that she had a malformation in the cerebellum.
“I had no symptoms but they advised me to have surgery to avoid ending up in a wheelchair one day,” she explains.
But after three surgeries and various complications, she now finds herself with terrible neuropathic pain: electric shocks, headaches... She, who worked in purchasing in an insurance company, is forced to change jobs and go to half time.
“Taking public transport every day to get to work is complicated when you get tired quickly,” she testifies.
“Even if it cuts me off from my relationships with my colleagues, I prefer to work at home in peace.
So I don't have to hide my pain or run around to pick up my son from school.
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“From a distance, we sit, frozen in front of our screen all day”
An enthusiasm not necessarily shared.
According to the fourth wave of the survey carried out in April 2021 by Ifop for Agefiph, only 28% of people with disabilities want to telework more, compared to 47% for all employees.
One out of 5 disabled people simply does not want to hear about it.
“With the generalization of teleworking, some disabled workers, who are not very familiar with computer tools, found themselves in great difficulty during confinements”, underlines Véronique Bustreel, director of innovation, evaluation and strategy at the Association. management of the fund for the professional integration of disabled people (Agefiph).
“Many have also felt very isolated within their team during the health crisis.
They are therefore not very inclined to renew the experience for fear of moving away from the company, or even of withdrawing.
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However, when it is not suffered, teleworking can prove to be a valuable asset for better reconciling the times of life: family, care and work.
Provided it is well prepared and limited to two or three days a week.
"From a distance, we sit, frozen in front of our screen all day," recalls Éric Blanchet, president of the Association for the social and professional integration of people with disabilities (Adapt).
“The risk of fatigue is therefore much greater.
Hence the importance of providing disabled employees with all the necessary tools to allow them to telecommute in good conditions, in particular a comfortable chair and an adapted mouse.
Aid can also be granted by Agefiph for the adaptation of workstations.
To preserve the efficiency and motivation of the troops, it is also essential to maintain the link and to remain attentive to the needs of each one.
"The idea is above all not to let people go alone in nature", insists Éric Blanchet.
“You have to organize regular check-ins with them to make sure everything is going well and communicate to them the company's objectives and successes.
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