On the International Day of People with Disabilities, auticon, an employer of over 200 people on the autism spectrum, is calling for a focus on inclusion in the workplace and a stronger emphasis on cognitive ability rather than disability.
Currently, almost a third of people on the Australian National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) listed autism as their primary disability.
auticon wants businesses to focus on the cognitive strengths, capabilities and the value that autistic people bring to organisations across Australia.
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the unemployment rate for people with autism spectrum disorders was 34.1%, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics – This is more than three times the overall rate for people with a disability (10.3%) and almost eight times the rate for people without a disability (4.6%).
“We want to turn this international day into a day of ability and inclusion – we want to see more people with a disability in meaningful employment. The numbers really need to change, and we believe they can change, with the right support and processes there is an opportunity to create a more inclusive workplace that delivers stronger results. Empirical evidence strongly suggests that neuro-diverse talent delivers productivity increases of 48% to 120% compared to their neurotypical counterparts,” explains auticon Australia CEO and managing director Bodo Mann.
“As a social enterprise, auticon has developed a successful business model around delivering productivity gains through applied cognitive strength. They use a 360-degree support model, to support autistic professionals and educate business about neurodiversity and how to manage neuro-diverse teams in the workplace. auticon add significant value in areas such as Software Engineering, Quality Assurance / Testing, Data Analytics and Cyber Security.
“auticon employs talented team members on a full-time basis and provides a uni ..
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