Awareness and understanding about autism is growing. From local stories about the successes and struggles of autistic people to the BBC’s ‘The A Word’ which looked at parenting an autistic child, more people are becoming aware of autism. And as we celebrate World Autism Day, I want to focus on how we turn this awareness into jobs.
Being in work can be a lifeline for many, it provides people with independence and gives them a role in society. It also provides people with a wage and security in knowing they can provide for themselves and their family.
I regularly meet with employers who want to hire autistic people. But a significant barrier is a lack of understanding and awareness. That’s why we’ve launched Disability Confident – a campaign to empower employers to recruit and retain disabled people. It brings together businesses, charities, Jobcentres and more to understand what changes may be needed in the workplace when hiring a disabled person.
112 employers are already active partners. And today I’m asking employers, business owners and industry leaders to sign up to become an ambassador.
In the last 12 months, 152,000 more disabled people moved into work and this represents real lives transformed. By tackling common myths and making employers feel confident about hiring disabled people, we can take a step forward in our overall goal to halve the disability employment gap.
This is a big priority for me; supporting disabled people into work is one of the best ways of becoming a more inclusive society.
World Autism Day takes place on 2nd April to raise awareness of people living with autism across the world. To find out more about World Autism Day, visit the UN website. You can learn more about the Disability Campaign by visiting https://disabilityconfident.dwp.gov.uk/register.php
