Having a disability makes life already a tad more difficult than for those around them, but having a disability and finding a job is much, much more sophisticated. Throughout the world there aren't an abundance of corporations that are willing to hire people with disabilities, specifically those with autism. Though the Americans with Disabilities Act has attempted to "prohibit discrimination and ensures equal opportunity for persons with disabilities in employment," it doesn't always help. Recently, a couple of large businesses have peaked an interest in doing their part in tackling the unemployment rate for autistic people.
According to the A.J Drexel Autism Institute, approximately 66 percent of adults with autism didn't attempt to further their educational career or find a job within their first two years after completing high school, and approximately over a third of the population (42 percent) still didn't have a plan after two to four years of their high school graduation. Many people believe this alarming rate is due to the lack of a support system to an autistic child after they've aged. It seems as if once the child graduates high school, their special education services go away; they're practically thrown off into the world without any guidance as to what they should do.
To combat these statistics and the problem overall, big businesses including Microsoft and Walgreens have stepped up in an effort to support the autistic community. Microsoft has a program labeled the "Autism Hiring Program", in which adults with disabilities participate in various team related activities focused on skill assessment for two weeks and have the opportunity to reveal their hidden talents to the multiple hiring managers at Microsoft. According to the corporation, their goal is to "[...] attract talent and build an inclusive approach to support individuals on the Autism spectrum that will contribute to the way we work as a company in building and servicing our products". This program is still new to Microsoft, but they've managed to hire eleven individuals through the program and they plan on hiring many more as they continue to build and improve the program they have set.
As well as Microsoft, Walgreens has also made it their goal to combat the numbers of unemployed adults with autism. One Walgreens employee, Randy Lewis, set out to broaden the company's horizons. Lewis had first initiated workshops in his local community to get those with disabilities more involved, the company worked with the people that came out to the event and eventually hired the disabled individuals that would participate. Currently, Walgreens has set out their new goal to fill more than 20 percent of their workforce with people among disabilities! The company states "We're proving that with the right mix of creativity and compassion, everyone can succeed".
In an effort to aide the growing autistic community, Microsoft and Walgreens have taken a giant leap with hopes that other companies do the same. If more large businesses open their doors up to those with disabilities, the unemployment rate for people with autism can hopefully be dropped rapidly. So, in an effort to expand this movement, let your manager know of this initiative and help make a change!
