Challenges and Enablers: Remote Work for People with Disabilities in Software Development Teams
Thayssa Rocha, Luciano Teran, Marcelle Mota, Cleidson de Souza, Kiev Gama, Gustavo Pinto

TL;DR
This study explores the unique challenges and enablers of remote work for people with disabilities in software development teams, highlighting the need for improved accessibility and communication strategies.
Contribution
It provides empirical insights into the sociotechnical aspects of remote work for PWDs in SDT through surveys and interviews, revealing gaps in perceptions and areas for improvement.
Findings
Limited perception of challenges by teammates and leaders.
Opportunities for enhancing accessibility tools.
Need for adaptive management approaches.
Abstract
The increasing adoption of remote and hybrid work modalities in the technology sector has brought new opportunities and challenges for the inclusion of people with disabilities (PWD) in software development teams (SDT). This study investigates how remote work affects PWDs' experience in mixed-ability SDT, focusing on the unique challenges and strategies that emerge in remote environments. We conducted an online survey with \totalSurveyResponses valid responses, encompassing PWD, their leaders, and teammates, to capture sociotechnical aspects of their experiences with remote collaboration. To deepen our understanding, we carried out 14 structured interviews with software developers who self-identified as having disabilities (six autistic individuals, six with physical disabilities, and two who are d/Deaf). Our analysis combines quantitative data with qualitative coding of open-ended…
Peer Reviews
No public reviews on file for this paper yet. If you reviewed it on a platform where reviews are public (OpenReview, ICLR, NeurIPS, ICML), you can paste yours below so the community can read it here.
Videos
No videos yet. Explain this paper in a talk, walkthrough, or lecture? Add one.
Taxonomy
TopicsSoftware Engineering Techniques and Practices · Usability and User Interface Design · Digital Accessibility for Disabilities
