What bugs me around rows over diagnosis and the "NEET" debate is that it forgets a lot of jobs autistic or other SEND adults would go into in previous years has pretty much gone for now.
Retail, Cleaning, Warehouses, Garderning, Admin etc.
What bugs me around rows over diagnosis and the "NEET" debate is that it forgets a lot of jobs autistic or other SEND adults would go into in previous years has pretty much gone for now.
Retail, Cleaning, Warehouses, Garderning, Admin etc.
I worked in the civil service all my life, which had excellent protection for diversity plus rules for every role. It wasn't perfect, but it was a safe environment for me. I also worked with figures and that sort of work (including investigation and mechanics/engineering or IT) seem to be popular with autistic people I know personally.
But I take your point about many entry=level or low-level jobs decreasing.
I work with adults that have been officially diagnosed with disabilities of all types. I agree with your statement. I think creating jobs specifically accessible for persons with disabilities should be something industries and governments should be more worried about, rather than fretting over the concept of over-diagnosis. If it’s true that we are getting a huge influx of disabilities diagnosed, then wouldn’t it make sense to utilize that demographic in the workforce?
I’m not as convinced retail is a generally safe environment for folks with disabilities (particularly thinking of Autism, though), but I completely agree that cleaning and warehouses are HUGE for us with disabilities. Low social pressure, repetitive tasks, and usually close support from supervisors make those two generally good fits for those with Autism in particular. I’m lucky to have a local custodial employer who is very willing to work with my clients, but despite the fact that we have like five or so warehouses/factories in this town NONE of them are willing to assist these disabled clients to get quality work.
I believe employers and governments could do more to encourage us to work rather than solely rely on government-funded social services since all the options for jobs out there are not disability friendly at all.
(Note: I’m not saying that relying social services are not acceptable nor am I inferring that all individuals with disabilities should be working. I am merely suggesting that more safe opportunities in workplaces could lead to less reliance on social services overall.)
