The Undiscovered Workforce

The stats for people with autism and employment aren’t good. Just 15% of adults with autism are in full-time employment. 30% aren’t in employment OR receipt of benefits. I fall into the latter category. My husband earns a lot less than the national average wage, but works enough hours for me not to be entitled to JSA. When I was in work, I was underemployed. When I apply for jobs, even unpaid work, I am frequently given the feedback that they think I might be bored in the job or that other people were a better fit for the team, but I don’t have the experience to go for jobs that are at a higher level. I can’t hide what I am like in order to fit in and lots of people don’t seem to get why I struggle with seemingly everyday things. I know that is the case for many adults with autism – as many as 79% of people with autism on out of work benefits say they want to work, but need support, and that reflects my not-on-benefits perspective too.

I had emailed my MP Rachel Reeves in the past. I had just sent her general things to do with adults with autism before, but it was time in my new role as an ambassador for the NAS to ask her for something specific. I know Rachel cares about employment, economic activity and women in work, so I wrote to her to ask for a meeting. I wanted her to know how bad the statistics are for adults with autism, and that many of us want to work but need help to get, succeed in and sustain appropriate jobs. I want employers, the local authority, HR departments, careers advisers, recruiters and prospective colleagues to understand what it is like for people with autism in work and to offer that support. I thought Rachel might be able to help me to get these people together and talk about how it is now and how it could be.

The meeting was on Friday March 2^nd. I took Eleanor from the NAS with me, as I get nervous in meetings and interviews and she was able to help with all the stats and names that fly out of my head when I am talking passionately. The meeting was at a library in Leeds and we realised on arrival that our slot was only five minutes long. No pressure, then. I thought I might not get everything out, and all that would happen was that Rachel would think I was crazy and agree to think about it to get me out of the room. But the unbelievable happened, and she seemed to be as excited about it as we were. She listened to everything I had to say, made some excellent points herself and wanted to help me to get this disparate group of people together to make things happen. It IS going to happen. I am going to be part of organising something special. It was scary, and I stuttered and stumbled my way through it, but it felt great too.

My fervent hope is that this meeting is the start of something bigger. Yes, getting all the people I mentioned together to talk about this issue and how they can help in Leeds, but talk is cheap. I want attitudes to change and the support for people like me to be put in place everywhere. I want all the people connected with employment in the region to really get it and want to do something about it themselves, because 15% of people with autism in full time work when one in a hundred adults has autism, is not enough. Not just because of the current economic crisis or the idea that work provides self-worth, but because we are an interesting, exciting, diverse group of people with something unique to offer to the workplace.

Penny