Five great jobs that wheelchair users can do from home

Being on a wheelchair does not mean the end of career opportunities. Thanks to technology, working from home is a great option. What helps is basic knowledge of English and computer skills. We spoke to a few wheelchair users who work from home and earn well too.

Unni Maxx, a well-known disability rights activist in Kerala, and Secretary, Thanal Paraplegic Welfare Society, is a well established freelance graphic designer. His love for computers pushed him in this direction.

I was always fond of computers. The Internet always made me curious. So I decided to explore this as an option. People always ask me how they can earn from the Internet without doing much work. There are no short cuts! You have to work hard. I know a lot of wheelchair users who run their own businesses. There are some government employees who are doing well too. But I would recommend wheelchair users to do what they can and what interests them – Unni Maxx.

Here are a few ‘work from home’ jobs that people on wheelchairs can try out:

• Content Writing – This is one of the most sought after work from home options by everyone. There are many websites and blogs that pay writers for each article. You can choose topics that interest you. It can be food, fashion, cooking or even latest news. Some blogs pay disabled writers to write about their inspirational stories. You will get a better insight into this once you do a research on the Internet. If you do not want to commit your entire day on writing, you can even become a freelancer.
• Data Entry – This is another viable option but and you need to be fast and accurate for doing this kind of work. It needs high concentration levels and great accuracy.
• Website Designer – New websites are being launched every day. Hence, scope for employment in web designing is huge. You can even take up web designing classes sitting at your home. Being a website designer needs creativity. Look out and explore the internet to get a better insight into how this works.
• Medical Transcription – This job demands basic school education and knowledge of computers. It also pays you well. You have to undergo a brief training session that can be done from home too. The internet can direct you to companies that require medical transcriptionists.
• Business – You can make money out of what you love doing best. Try your hand at arts, crafts, jewellery making and so on. You can promote your products on social media too. There are many wheelchair users who earn quite a lot by starting their own ventures.

Take Anjurani Joy, who makes beautiful jewellery and sells it online under the brand name Anjoos Collections She also works as a tele-caller as well. Her hands are full and she enjoys every bit.

“I work from home and do multiple jobs. It gives me a lot of free time too. All that I need is an internet connection. But at the end of day, you need to work hard to earn a lot. One of the main challenges that I face is that people who buy my products are not willing to pay for the work that a disabled person does. They have this attitude that they are doing us a favour by purchasing our products. One must understand that we do not want sympathy. What we need is the right attitude that recognizes our work”, says Anju.

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