A message from Commissioner McCosh: Possibilities for new normal after COVID-19

Dear Disability Community Members,



Yesterday, Governor Baker extended the current shutdown until May 18th. This means it will be at least a few more weeks before businesses begin to open back up and people start to move around more freely.



We still don’t know exactly what society will look like once the current state of emergency ends, but we can be sure that there will be a lot of lessons leaned from the COVID-19 pandemic.



Some of these lessons could have a big impact on our traditional systems and the way they functioned before the coronavirus outbreak. The status quo may no longer be a given. Society may forge a “new normal” – and some changes may actually benefit the disability community.



Let’s take a look at some potential positive lessons learned that could benefit people with disabilities resulting from this pandemic:



First – Flexibility. This, more than anything, could open up a world of opportunities for people with disabilities. Whether it’s a job, a medical appointment, or a book group, most organizations have learned the benefits of being flexible. People with disabilities inherently understand the value of flexibility; uncertainty is part of our daily lives in basic areas that others may take for granted, like pedestrian access and transportation.



Second – Working from Home. Now called “WFH,” this concept is not new to those with disabilities. In fact, many people in the disability community seek out WFH careers. But WFH jobs have been few and far between, and only in limited fields. Moving forward, we can imagine a future in which any career choice could potentially be performed from home. With access to technology and tools, people with disabilities are on a much more level playing field, and that could lay the groundwork for jobs that lead to financial empowerment and economic stability.



Third – New Skill Sets. Most people have had to learn new skills during the current stay at home advisory. Now that meetings are being held virtually, we’ve become familiar with Zoom and other online platforms. These new skills are transferable – they can help people with disabilities in other areas of life that may have obstacles to accessibility. Tasks such as grocery shopping and banking can pose barriers to those with disabilities in the real world, but new skills can be applied to mitigate physical barriers and open up endless possibilities online.



Society has gone through many paradigm shifts throughout history. While the changes we listed above are positive, we’ve also seen areas of concern to the disability community during COVID-19. My office will continue to follow these developments and continue to work toward systemic accessibility in the City of Boston.



Sincerely,

Commissioner Kristen McCosh