What hurdles do people with disabilities need to overcome
to find employment?
Barriers essentially are internal or external:
Internal barriers :
Broadly include a lack of confidence, an impoverishment
of experience (you don’t know whether you’ll like something you’ve never
tried!), and fear around the unknown.
In particular, for people with autism, the condition means they have
difficulties in interview settings and with social interaction which means
it is hard for them to be able to put their best foot forward and illustrate
their skill set.
External barriers :
Biggest barrier is fear on the part of employers – what
if it goes wrong?
What if I have to counsel or terminate the employee? Is
the person going to be a liability?
Are they safe, are they dangerous?
What will other staff members think?
Generally, there is a lack of awareness and understanding around the
needs of disabled employees, and reluctance to accommodate changes
in order to allow the hidden skills and abilities of neuro-divergent people
to flourish.
There is also a lack of understanding regarding the range of presentations
or span of the autism spectrum. No two people are alike and labels create
unfair misconceptions.
Autistic Nick 