How to Work from Home with a Disability – featuring Teacher Caprisha

Greetings and salutations! Every morning Caprisha shares her warm advice with the online teaching community on Instagram. She shares her story about transitioning from a traditional classroom to the online teaching environment. We hear her reasons, the good days, the bad days, and the accommodations that she makes from day to day. She also has a terrific YouTube channel to help as many others find their way as she can. If you have a disability and are looking to work from home on a flexible schedule VIPKID or GoGoKid might be good places to start. Today Teacher Caprisha shares her stories and tips with all of us.

Tell us a little about yourself and how long you have been in online teaching.

I am a former high school and college English teacher, as well as a college and public library director. I currently work as an online ESL teacher and audiobook narrator, though I have been stepping away from narrating lately.

While I was working as a high school English teacher, I started having episodes, which turned out to be seizures. After an ambulance ride and a couple of harrowing incidents for my students, I felt it was best to resign from B&M teaching until my health improved. It can be difficult to teach effectively if students don’t truly have a safe environment in which to learn. So, my husband took a library directorship closer to home in Memphis, TN, where we found the right doctor with the right treatment for my epilepsy.

Fast forward a few years, I had been working as an audiobook narrator, but I longed to teach again. My seizures were becoming more controlled, and I felt like maybe I could handle being in front of a computer and lighting.

One of my teacher friends from my last school teaches for VIPKid. I follow her on Facebook. From time to time, she would make posts about VIPKid. I was definitely intrigued. After I thought I was able to teach again, I gave her a call, just to hear her tell me that it wasn’t a scam. Haha. It just seemed too good to be true. She helped me through the referral process, and I was hired in about a week. I had actually intended to teach college classes online because I had done that before, but I am so glad that I asked her about this option before I made my final decision. 

I started working for VIPKid in March 2019. Of course, I began the research long before that. I am not a fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants kind of person. My hard research started the previous December, and I explored options to see how I could make it work for me. 

I am happy to say that nearly a year later I couldn’t be happier with my decision. In fact, I was so happy with my experience with VIPKid that I added a second company, GoGoKid about six months later. I really enjoy the variety of having two curriculums to work from and the stability of two platforms.

What made it a great fit in your life?

There are a few things that make teaching online a great fit for me. First of all, having uncontrolled epilepsy, I am not allowed to drive, which limits my ability to get to another job. While there are certainly ways to get to work other than driving yourself, it does take a chunk out a regular paycheck. So, working from home was an economical choice.

Secondly, seizures can be very dangerous. Seizures can cause a person to fall, bump into things, or injure themselves in many ways. For example, if a person were around a swimming pool and fell in while having a seizure, he could easily drown, especially if no one was around. Working from home allows me the luxury of controlling my work environment and creating a safe space that is nearly 100% epilepsy compliant all of the time. This is much harder to achieve in a corporate setting.

Thirdly, and a huge factor for me, I get to set my own schedule. It is necessary that I have adequate sleep to help ward off future seizures, and when my resistance is low, I need to be able to take the time and the rest I need to recoup. VIPKid and GoGoKid both offered me the opportunity to set my own schedule and to keep it consistent. I also love the flexibility of adding more classes at the last minute if I decide I feel like it.

Lastly, the free professional development offered by both companies really made the transition from B&M teaching to online ESL teaching much easier, which I believe made this job a better fit for my life. It took me about 45 days to get my first booking with VIPKid. During those 45 days, I took all of the workshops I could cram in, and I am so glad that I did. I feel like it helped me to understand what this new career was about, and it helped me to form a clear picture about what to expect and how to build my business before I ever taught my first class. Without those classes, I think it would be harder to find the right fit.

What tips do you have for someone with a disability who is wondering if online teaching is a good option for them?

As with anyone considering this field, I highly recommend finding a referring teacher. This teacher can help step you through the hiring process, and they can help you answer some of these questions. Sometimes, we can over analyze things, especially if we don’t have all of the information we need. I strongly urge finding someone to talk things over with. Getting another teacher’s perspective can help alleviate that ‘fear of the unknown’ we can let creep in. 

If you have been curious about teaching online and want to get started, just send an email to teacherjanice06066@gmail.com and we can see if it is a good fit for you!

Here are some general tips to consider: 

1. Know yourself: What can you easily get done in a day without causing health setbacks? What are some potential areas of concern? Make a list and have it ready as you research the job and talk to your referring teacher.

2. Know your expectations: What do you want out of the job? What hours do you want to work? How much do you want to make? What do you want to teach? Make a list and have it ready.

3. Research: I always recommend starting at the source. Start with the official resources of the company you are interested in. Then, branch out. Try YouTube, Instagram, Facebook. Research the company, pay scales, what classes are like, what people like about the company, what people did not like about the company, and any other things you might be interested in.

4. Modifications: Will you need to make any modifications in your classroom to help meet the needs of your disability? Do you need special lighting? Do you need computer software to enlarge the print on the computer screen? Do you need a special desk? Do you need a chair that might provide you with the right support? Make a list of the things you might need.

5. Plan for the best: How will you teach the best class? Each teacher’s “best” class will look differently based on his or her strongest skills. What are you best skill, and how can you use them to your advantage?

 What tools can you use effectively? As online ESL teachers, we know we have certain teaching tools at our disposal: TPR, props, flashcards, whiteboards, etc. Which of these tools work best for you and your condition. Depending on your condition, it might be difficult to use small props. Could you use larger props? Maybe some versions of TPR are too difficult due to mobility issues. Is there another way you could express the same idea that is less painful?

What are your strongest teaching skills? While I imagine we are all fairly well-rounded teachers, each teacher generally has an area that he or she excels in. It is important to know what this area is so you use both use it in your marketing materials and in your classes.

6. Plan for the worst: What will you do if your disability suddenly interferes with your ability to teach classes? Most of us generally don’t like to dwell on the negative, but it is better to be prepared than to be caught off-guard. So here are some things to consider:

• Know your company’s policies:
  • What do you need to get ‘soft’ or ‘medium’ cancellations, if your company offers those options?
  • If you are denied the first time, how many times can you apply? This is important because there is usually a limit, so you want to try to get all of your required documents in order the first time, if possible. The people who process everything are busy and working to help lots of teachers. If you can help them by giving them what they need the first time, you are much more likely to get the answer you want.
  • Does your company have any penalties for not teaching for extended periods of time? For example, will it affect your contract renewal if you have to go for 2 months without opening up teaching slots?
  • Does your company have any other policies regarding employees with disabilities? Many online teaching companies are based outside of the United States, and therefore, are not subject to our laws, but there are some companies that are based here in the U.S. That’s why it is important to know the policies before you begin.
• Have a plan in place that will put you at the best advantage. 

Life is never certain, and there is no way to plan for every eventuality. However, we can help ourselves by taking some basics steps to make sure that we are protected should some bumps come up along way.

• If you have to cancel: Know what you will do if you need to cancel a class, whether it is suddenly or for sometime in the future. Having this plan in place will help things to go smoothly, and you will already have some idea of the financial impact this will have on your income.

• If you get sick during class: This can be a real concern for many people during class. Know what your company’s policy is if you “finish” class early. This will give you an idea of what the financial impact will be on your income and how it may impact your chances for contract renewal and incentives.

• If you become sick with a long-term condition: Know what you will do if you have to cancel classes for a longer period. Know how you will support yourself during this time and what the impact will be on your relationship with your teaching company.

• If you are terminated: Since we are independent contractors, the truth of the matter is that we can be let go if we violate the terms of our contract. What will you do if your contract is suddenly terminated with your teaching company? I always recommend having a second source of income. I teach with two online companies for just this reason. I like the comfort of having two sets of regular students already cultivated in case something should happen at one company. However, your second source of income can be anything — just something that can tide you over until you find something else. 

7. Have faith in yourself: You can do this. Go slowly and be realistic with yourself. You have all of the information to make the best decision. Now, have fun!

What are some ways you have set your classroom environment up for success?

This is a perfect time to put those “modifications” into effect. For me, there were a few very important areas that had to be addressed.

• Lights: Lighting was at the top of my list. My seizures are triggered by all kinds of lighting issues, so it was imperative that this issue be addressed early on. I researched not only lighting sources but also ways that I could filter the light going into my eyes. 

• This led me to a tint that could be added to my glasses to help reduce the chance of seizures. So if you look at my glasses, you will notice they have a slight blue tint. This is from the BPI Deep Blue Zee tint. I found that this tint and the Zeiss Z1 tint (which is only available overseas) both helped reduce seizures in gamers with epilepsy. I had to call several local stores, but I finally found one that offered this tint, and it has made quite a difference in strain I feel in my eyes and my ability to sit in front of a computer and the studio lights I have. 

• I also make sure to use soft boxes with my lights. This helps to diffuse the light, keeping it from being too intense from any one direction. I also saved up for higher quality lights, which have made a big difference. I was using a standard single bulb light, which worked very well. However, I recently upgraded to the Neewer 480 LED Lights. I have found them to be much easier on my eyes because they are a panel of several tiny lights instead of one large bulb. 

• Seating: Being stationary was difficult on my body. I was too stiff, so as I was able I invested in a “twisty” chair. It allows me to move in between and during class without having to get up, which isn’t really an option for me, most of the time. 

• Soft Corners and Adequate Distances: Seizures are a reality of my life, and while I generally have adequate warning time, they can happen out of the blue. This means that all of the areas of my classroom (and house) need to be as seizure-proof as possible. This means that if I fall forward, backward, or to either side then I won’t hit any hard surface that could cause any real damage to me. This took some real planning because I still need to have my props within arm’s reach. I try to select soft materials with rounded corners, and I try to leave the greatest distance between me and the furniture I have in my classroom, as well. 

• My Seizure Alarm: I am extremely blessed to have a “massive” 3.5 lb teacup poodle who can predict seizures. At this time, dogs cannot be trained to predict seizures, but some dogs are born with this ability. Coco joined our family when he was about 10 weeks old. A few weeks later, he would crawl onto my shoulder and gently gnaw on my jaw. About 15 minutes later, I would have a seizure. We finally started to notice the pattern. Coco will also alert me on my hand, so he “teaches” with me every morning. He sits in my lap, wrapped in a towel, because he is NOT a morning dog. The kids always enjoy seeing, but he can’t wait to be wrapped back up in his towel. 

Do you have any favorite resources to share with teachers who are working with a disability?

Online ESL Teachers with Disabilities: This is a Facebook group for VIPKid teachers with disabilities. It allows teachers to come together to discuss the platform, as well as unique issues teachers face as they try to teach online with ongoing medical conditions. https://www.facebook.com/groups/332384167426784/?ref=bookmarks

10 Best Practices for Online Teachers with Disabilities (YouTube series): This is a series of videos I did recently, which is intended to be a starter course for online teachers with ongoing medical issues. It covers very practical topics, both classroom and life-related, to help keep things in balance as teachers begin or continue their online teaching careers.

FB Page and/or Groups for Your Condition: Be selective, but there are many FB groups for many conditions. VIPKid even has groups that are condition-specific, so you might even try searching for that. I always recommend an official FB page for an organization for your condition. For example, for epilepsy, the Epilepsy Foundation is the recognized leader in the field for research, so I follow them on all of their social media platforms. 

IG Pages: Again, be selective, but find organizations and people that support you in your efforts to maintain your health and your teaching career. Again, I recommend the official pages of the leading organization for your condition. This allows you to stay on top of the research and news. Here are few for some common medical issues. If you are more into email or websites, you can search their names to find their sites. If your condition isn’t listed below or you want to find a more specific condition search “your condition name” and ‘association”. It should bring up one or more options. Be sure to look through them carefully to make sure they are legitimate. 

• Epilepsy: Epilepsy Foundation: @epilepsyfdn
• Mental Health: National Council for Behavioral Health: @nationalcouncil
• Heart Health: American Heart Association: @american_heart
• Cancer: American Cancer Society: @americancancersociety
• Arthritis: Arthritis Foundation: @arthritisfoundation
• Diabetes: American Diabetes Association: @amdiabetesassn
• Cystic Foundation: Cystic Fibrosis Foundation: @cf_foundation
• Asthma: American Lung Association: @lungassociation 
• Multiple Sclerosis: Multiple Sclerosis Association of America: @msassociation

Closing thoughts

It can be scary to begin any new venture, regardless of the challenges a person faces in life. However, when someone deals with a chronic condition, that fear can compounded. I found it to be the case that many people who face ongoing medical issues, especially if they are diagnosed with a true disability, carry a sort of guilt with them. Guilt that their friends and family have to now adjust their lives and plans around this curve-ball that life has thrown them. It can even be worse for people with “invisible” disabilities, those conditions that aren’t obvious to the casual observer. While I’m sure everyone would like to be able to easily meet the obligations of their job, the truth of the matter is that there is a real fear that the disability, whatever it may be, will rear its ugly head at any time and make it impossible to complete those tasks, however simple they may be. Sometimes, no amount of planning and preparation can prevent that. Sometimes, the condition may affect the person for a long period of time. Again, it cannot always be prevented. So, while I wouldn’t say that people with disabilities live in fear, there is a fear that things can be upset quickly. I think this makes starting new things like teaching online a little scarier than it might be for the average person.

There is nothing to be said to counteract that. It is a fact that will always remain true. I think the best thing a teacher or potential teacher can do at that point is refer to the tips I listed earlier, but they should realistically consider what they are capable of doing and are not capable of doing. Being realistic with themselves and starting slowly is so important.

Caprisha Page lives in Memphis, Tennessee with her husband, daughter, and teacup poodle. She has been a high school English teacher, public librarian, audiobook narrator, and is currently an online ESL teacher for VIPKid and GoGoKid.

Connect with her on Instagram and YouTube to follow her journey, be inspired, and reach out with any questions about teaching with a disability. She also can be found on Teachers Pay Teachers.