Home-based telework as a “silver lining”? The lived experiences of people with physical disability in Vietnam

Home-based telework has expanded rapidly with the growth of digital technologies and the online labour market. For people with physical disability, telework is often viewed as an inclusive employment option because it can provide greater flexibility, autonomy, and opportunities to participate in the workforce. However, existing research suggests that these benefits may be accompanied by challenges, including technological barriers, social isolation, insecure working conditions, limited workplace support, and ongoing discrimination. While scholarship on disability and telework is growing, existing evidence is largely drawn from Western countries. Little is known about how home-based telework is experienced by people with disability in low- and middle-income countries such as Vietnam, where labour market conditions, social norms, and regulatory frameworks differ significantly.

The purpose of this study is to examine the labour and lived experiences of people with physical disability engaged in home-based telework in Vietnam. It seeks to understand how labour practices, support systems, and broader socio-economic structures shape employment experiences and outcomes in the digital workforce. By generating evidence from the Vietnamese context, the study aims to advance understanding of disability inclusion, workplace inclusion, and digital labour, and inform the development of more inclusive labour laws and practices in Vietnam and other low- and middle income countries.