Mobile Menu

  • AUTISM AFTER 21
  • CURRENT PROJECTS
  • PARTNER WITH US
  • STORIES & NEWS
  • PRESS
  • SHOP
  • RESOURCES
  • ABOUT US
  • DONATE
  • SEARCH
  • Menu
  • Skip to right header navigation
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Madison House Autism Foundation

Autism After 21

  • RESOURCES
  • ABOUT US
  • DONATE
  • SEARCH
  • AUTISM AFTER 21
  • CURRENT PROJECTS
  • PARTNER WITH US
  • STORIES & NEWS
  • PRESS
  • SHOP

Built-In Accessibility: Unleashing Employment Potential in Adults with Autism

This article looks at employment and what the autism community can do about the widespread problem of the fear of powerlessness.

You are here: Home / Editorial / Built-In Accessibility: Unleashing Employment Potential in Adults with Autism

October 27, 2015 //  by Shannon Doty

The author of this article is on the autism spectrum, and she has chosen to use identity-first language. Madison House Autism Foundation uses both person-first and identity-first language, but we have decided to preserve the author’s voice for this article.


For young autistic adults and their families, not being able to find a job can be more than a temporary setback: it cranks up the fear of a lifetime of being stuck in a dependent and powerless place. This article looks at employment and what the autism community can do about this extremely widespread and important problem of the fear of powerlessness.

What are we trying to achieve?

We all have needs for food and shelter, along with love and friendship, and the other basics. And there are other needs that we all share, whether autistic or not, which are less highlighted in our culture – the need to belong to a community and contribute and learn, for example. Discussions about life planning for disabled people should stay focused on all those real needs, and not get sidetracked into believing that it necessarily rests on simply getting educational credentials and a job. Neither a job nor the money it yields are direct human needs; that’s just one means to meet some of those needs.

The capitalist economy works for those who own it, and jobs exist to serve its internal profit logic, not as a way to fairly distribute the work. The system is happy to eject anyone from the labor pool who is the least able to compete. As disabled people, that means us. It is important to recognize the seemingly hopeless situation, which is that we cannot change the mechanics of the whole system, and neither can we change all the individual workers to become more competitive.

What we can do – and this should be the major objective of autistic employment – is to carve out new corners of the economy where different values reign. These are ventures with a more collectivist and compassionate mindset, aimed at opening up opportunities for people to contribute more substantially. These are places where accessibility is built-in at all levels.

If we look at some of our institutional language, we see phrases like “re-integration into society” or “vocational rehabilitation.” This kind of language comes from the mindset that people are broken and can be fixed. Today we either try to “fix” the person enough to work in the system as it is (integration), or we have all the disabled people working together (segregation). The third way is to build compassionate and accessible workplaces where diversity is accepted, and people are neither integrated nor segregated.

I don’t think it should be an implied goal to avoid public assistance, and there is no more or less dignity in receiving money from a market than from the government. Instead, the goal should be positions where work meets the needs of the person – needs for authentic contribution, growth of responsibilities, and income sufficient to make autonomous economic decisions.

Accessibility and diversity

Autism is more about the diversity of things than about any one thing, so it is a hard condition to pin down. The very short summary of autism that I use is “independent + sensitive” – we find the typical social world overloading, and we build an autonomous mental/social universe apart from the shared one. Our universes spring from the senses, facts, and principles (like justice), not from cultural adaptability or conformity. We cannot be replaceable cogs in the economic machine; we are too different from each other and from the expectations of any given job description. Consequently, we need to think about “creating” jobs, not “getting” them, and the whole endeavor has to be a creative adaptation to neurological diversity. Thinking about “the kinds of jobs that are appropriate for autistic people” is not a productive thought because almost any kind of work could be appropriate. The thing that matters is whether the workplace is embracing diversity, not the exact type of work.

Let me mention two kinds of “togetherness” which will relate the concepts of integration and accessibility. The historic relationship between Britain and India is “together” in some ways, but not the warm fuzzy kind of togetherness. Instead, we call it colonization, because one side had all the power over the other. When we think about disabled and non-disabled people working together, and when it is organized as two tiers, that’s colonization too. The other kind of togetherness is where both sides move, and it’s not all about conforming to the terms of the colonizing power. In a workplace that aims to embrace diversity, everyone has to be willing to move. An access need of one disabled person may mean that the lighting or noise has to be controlled a certain way, or a myriad of other factors that might allow that person to work there as her whole self; therefore the other people might have to give up on certain positions that they might consider standard rights or norms in a workplace. Focusing on accessibility as the first concern therefore brings about the right kind of togetherness, so it isn’t the colonization kind.

For more discussion on deep accessibility, see this paper.

Since everyone is unique, there are no absolute rules for how to make a workplace autistic-accessible. Replacing fluorescent lights and having a quiet room is not enough. It’s individual and creative, and therefore has to be a subject of discussion and change over time, based on the specific people working there.

When it works

Although unemployment is high among autistic adults, I’ve experienced and heard of people working jobs effectively. It is usually a position that significantly honors the person’s independence and not a group environment that expects the person to be a “team player.” This could include any one-person business such as running a street vendor booth, stocking soda machines, or some professional jobs like web design. Working solo can allow the person to define and meet their own accessibility needs better than in a corporate environment. The other route that sometimes leads to a job is being so good at something that one’s qualifications far exceed the non-autistic candidates; in that case, the company may be willing to deal with what they perceive as the negatives of autism.

The common thread here to success is having some power over the job – or at least having a domain of responsibility. Autistic people, as a rule, are less disabled and appear less different when the environment isn’t as controlling. Working in a team setting without having a separate domain of responsibility to oneself can disable the person more. In past generations, corporate management was more hierarchical and people were required to meet their individual job demands; whereas today’s management style has changed to a more cooperative team approach, making it harder for autistic people to fit in. Workplaces with the older kind of management may work better.

Things to watch out for

Now, I’ll go over some of the big obstacles in autistic careers, which are some of the main things to consider when building an autistic-accessible workplace. One is the problem of expecting normal social behavior or a normal knowledge base. Autistic people can often be honest and non-competitive to the point of failing to shine the best light on ourselves. A typical applicant might say enthusiastically “I can” while an autistic person with the same skills might say flatly, “I don’t know if I can” because the latter is more literally honest. We don’t tend to understand “tit for tat” and elbowing our way up the ladder. We can be perceived as not caring. We can also be fairly out of touch with what’s hot (what sells) so we might not make good decisions about markets and selling. That’s a serious problem for those of us who can do independent creating – like crafts or software apps – but can’t run the business end of it as well.

The second area of obstacles is in failing to build accommodations for sensory needs and energy management. Autistic people very often have a range of sensitivities that are linked to depleting energy stores, which ultimately leads to chronic stress or melting down in some way. The sensitivities can be noises and lights and other physical things. A variety of interpersonal behaviors can also act as stress triggers. This can include interrupting or asking to do multiple things at once, or communication styles that are more foreign to an autistic way of thinking such as being overly tactful. All this together depletes reserves, and accommodations need to be made to help the person restore those reserves. It’s impossible to say what those accommodations should be because it depends on the person.

The third area of obstacles is consistency. It’s pretty common for autistic people to have reliability problems, such as not being able to work at the time or on the day when work is supposed to start. The problem may stem from depleted reserves, or going nonverbal/non-communicative. It usually is not a sign of how much the person cares about their job; it’s more an indication that levels of social functioning can fluctuate a lot. The job should ideally have some flexibility built in so that the fluctuations in availability don’t upset the whole business.

And finally, the last area of obstacles I will mention is with expecting too little. Sometimes work intended for disabled people is “dumbed down” to the point where it’s simply so boring that the person can’t maintain an interest in it. Or it just feels inauthentic, meaningless, or spiritually flat. It’s hard for us to muster the motivation for something we really do not care about. The job would ideally be connected to interests and be consistent with good values. (Autistics can be really into global justice; it can help to keep that perspective in mind when trying to figure us out.) Also, an autistic person isn’t necessarily qualified for what’s considered an unskilled or entry-level job in the general economy, such as restaurant work, so the whole approach of “working up from the bottom” is not necessarily going to work. Some of those lowest-paid jobs could be quite difficult for us, while jobs considered more complex might be easier.

Conclusion: How to build the workplace

In closing, here’s a list of points – things to consider about the accessible workspace that you might help create.

  • Step out of the economy – Carve out a new niche that doesn’t have profit as the only bottom line. People want to support ethical business.
  • Remember “sensitive + independent”
  • Discuss and adapt – There is no fixed list of accommodations that we apply to people because of a label; instead it has to be ongoing and creative.
  • Both sides move – The non-autistic people have to give too; all of the adaptation shouldn’t have to come from the minority side.
  • Include all levels of accessibility – movement and physical, sensory, architecture, communication, and agency (control)
  • Keep like minds together – Don’t isolate autistic people; instead, keep a balance of kinds of people. Let us help and train each other. An autistic trainer is likely to make more sense to an autistic trainee.
  • Profit from the positives – We have skills that are marketable, and the niche businesses that are carved out should exploit things we often do well (for example organization, attention to detail).
About the Author

Screen Shot 2015-10-27 at 11.43.37 AMStar Ford is the manager of Ocate Cliffs, which is an autistic-centered workplace in the making.

facebookShare
TwitterTweet
PinterestSave

Category: Editorial, EmploymentTag: accessibility at work, accessibility in the workplace, adults with autism, autism, autistic adults, community, disabilities employment, employment, employment potential, ocate cliffs, star ford

Previous Post: « VIDEO: MD Golf Tournament Raises Funds for Special Needs Adults
Next Post: RECAP: 2015 Together for Choice Conference at Misericordia »

Primary Sidebar

Recent Posts

A group of people in a circle each hold a hand out toward the center of the circle in a workplace environment.

Where to Start: Neuro-Inclusion in the Workplace

August 15, 2023

Black and white photo of four individuals smiling at the camera indoors. The mayor of Hutto is on the left holding the proclamation. The Lyons family is on the right.

Family Ignites Autism After 21 Day Recognition in Hutto, Texas

August 11, 2023

Shows a profile view of a young person with long hair who is outdoors with green plants behind them. They have their eyes closed and their head tilted up slightly with a calm expression on their face.

Five Tips for Stress Management on the Spectrum

June 28, 2023

Front cover of the Autism After 21 Utah report with the text "Autism After 21 First Findings of a Utah Review and Toolkit for Autism Inclusion". It shows a collage of individuals with disabilities doing activities at home and in the community in various shades of blue.

Major Report Released on Utah Autism Inclusion

June 7, 2023

WATCH OUR LATEST MINI DOCUMENTARY

WATCH THE ENTIRE SERIES

TAKE A VIRTUAL TOUR OF HOUSING OPTIONS

CONTINUE THE TOUR

Footer

Follow Us

Facebook
YouTube

Get Involved

Share your story
Become a Featured Artist
Internships
Partner with us
Volunteer

Quick Links

Schedule a Housing Consultation
Autism Housing Network
Madison Fields
About Us

Contact US

611 Rockville Pike, Suite 150
Rockville, MD 20852
Tel: 240.246.7140
Email: [email protected]

Copyright © 2023 · Madison House Autism Foundation | Privacy Policy | Log in

AA21 Breakfast Sponsorship RSVP 2023

Reservation Selection(Required)

  • Please choose the region closest to you
  • Please select all that apply


St. George Regional Call
Thursday, April 29th
4:00pm MDT

  • Please select all that apply

Provo Regional Call
Thursday, April 29th
12:00pm MDT

  • Please select all that apply

Cedar City Regional Call
Thursday, April 29th
2:00pm MDT

  • Please select all that apply
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Logan Regional Call
Wednesday, April 28th
9:00am MDT

  • Please select all that apply

Ogden Regional Call
Wednesday, April 28th
11:00am MDT

  • Please select all that apply

Salt Lake City Regional Call
Wednesday, April 28th
1:00pm MDT

  • Please select all that apply

To invite others to join the Autism After 21 Utah Initiative, please submit their name and email below. Madison House Autism Foundation will send an email with information about the initiative along with instructions to join.