Virtual Office Work Accommodation Supports the Needs of Twenty-four Disabled Employees at WeCo : St Paul , Minnesota

With access to technology like high-speed Internet access, video conferencing and the ability to stay connected from almost anywhere, companies are shifting from traditional offices to virtual offices where there is more emphasis on productivity. The freedom and flexibility of getting their work done, during the hours which work for them, is great for the able bodied worker. For a disabled person the virtual office may provide the freedom and flexibility to work, period. 

Disabilities are strongly associated with an individual's prospects for work. According to the U.S. Census Bureau 54 million people in the United States have a disability. During the prime working years of 18 to 64 years old, only 63.3 percent of persons with disabilities are working. Furthermore, the percentage of persons with disabilities who were not working was more than twice as high as for persons with no disabilities. 

Thanks to the use of a virtual office twenty-three individuals with disabilities have found jobs at WeCo. 

Denise C., a new hire who is both an Intern and is training to be a CTC talks about working via a 'virtual office."Working in a virtual office allows me to be able to accomplish my work, something that would be difficult to do if I needed to get to a job in a brick and mortar office". She goes on to say, "Working together with the other staff at WeCo, via the technology that is available, allows us to work together as a team, something I really enjoy".

WeCo is an employer who provides people with disabilities the opportunity to use their skills to work, be productive and contribute to the success of the business. WeCo is a company founded around work at home employment for its Certified Test Consultants, whom along with most of WeCos staff and Advisory Board Members, live with some type of disability. WeCo is ever-mindful of accommodations as it creates its own virtual office.

Based in St. Paul, Minnesota, WeCo is a mission-based, for-profit organization. While creating a strong accessibility learning environment for businesses, WeCo also provides professional employment to people who live with disabilities. WeCo is recognized by the State of Minnesota as a Disadvantaged Business Enterprise. In the first year in business WeCo was featured in the MarketWatch Wall Street Journal, Google Finance and Tech{dot}MN. 

Source : Internet IT Buisiness , 31st may 2013