A STUDY ON EMPLOYER AND EMPLOYEE PERSPECTIVES ON THE WORKPLACE ACCOMODATIONS REQUIRED TO SUSTAIN A NEURODIVERSE WORKFORCE

Abstract

“To measure the success of our societies, we should examine how well those with different abilities, including persons with autism, are integrated as full and valued members.” — Ban Ki moon All human beings including those with hidden disabilities like autism have the potential to act as a catalyst for growth and prosperity of a nation provided they feel valued and respected for their abilities. Autistic individuals often have certain unique abilities like extreme attention to detail, strong mathematical skills, visual-spatial abilities and so on that are vital to any business, yet only 16% of autistic adults worldwide are employed full-time. The situation is even more gruesome in India where more than 18 million people are purported to be on the autism spectrum yet no data exists on their employment rates. In recognition of the unique potential of autistic individuals , a few global MNC’s like Microsoft, SAP, Google and so on have started recruiting autistic individuals who have unique abilities in the field of software testing, pattern recognition , logical reasoning to leverage their unique strengths for the benefit of their organization. Yet, in a country like India where prejudice and discrimination towards disability is a common occurrence, the employment scenario for individuals with autism remains bleak.