Time to create decent jobs for persons with autism

World Autism Awareness Day is always a bittersweet day for millions of people around the world—including myself—who struggle with the pains of caring for someone with autism. As a mother of two children with autism, a lifelong neurological condition, I worry about their future, knowing that the workplace does not have room for people with disabilities, thereby leaving them with no future to speak of.

As autism affects 1 in 68 children, the epidemic means thousands of children and their families face a life of poverty unless they find meaningful work or entrepreneurship opportunities. Having worked and lived with them for the past 20 years, I know in my mind and heart that they are capable of holding jobs and contributing to the workplace, if only they are given the opportunity and the right skills.

This is why I felt a sense of hope when the UN this year issued an appeal for employers to commit to offering jobs for individuals with autism. I felt even more hopeful when I saw that ADB has started to look at ways to ensure inclusiveness for persons with disability, which I hope would specifically include persons with autism.

Around the world, highly successful companies such as Google, Apple, and Microsoft are embracing diversity in the workplace for the many benefits it brings. With their unique skills and perspectives, persons with autism can enrich the workplace in many ways. I know, though, that this is an entirely new field not only for employers, but also for governments, development organizations, health professionals, and educators. On several occasions I have been approached by organizations, professionals, and development workers eager to hear my thoughts on how persons with autism can be mainstreamed into the workplace, based on my experience. Let me share these thoughts:

1. There has to be a strong push to encourage organizations to take in persons with autism.

2. It’s crucial to raise awareness. Autism continues to be widely misunderstood, creating a stigma that could deter employers from taking in persons with autism.

3. Capacity has to be built among organizations that take in persons with autism, as well as educational institutions that train them.

4. Incentives should be given to organizations that hire persons with autism, as well as entrepreneurial ventures formed by persons with autism and their families.

5. Governments must support developing technical and vocational programs for persons with autism.

6. Development agencies have a role to play.

These suggestions are very general, and I would love to know other people’s thoughts on ways to bring persons with autism into the workplace, and bring out the best in them. They say it takes a village to raise a child, but I say it takes a network of villages to raise a child with autism into a productive adult. Providing them with jobs may sound difficult at the outset, but I believe in my heart and in my mind that it can be done.

Source:

https://blogs.adb.org/blog/time-create-jobs-persons-autism