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 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.)
In the UK, employers think being disabled friendly is making things easy for wheelchair users and they can't cope with the walking wounded, or those of us with mixed disabilities.
I've worked in warehouses and factories and didn't find them particularly safe places with a lot of bullying and sexual harrasment, I think those who are bullies and sex pests would be more likely to pick on an ND person, feeling that people would be less likely to believe an ND person and I suspect they'd be right to. Many of these places have no unions either, so theres even less support.
(Lol, I just remembered a funny story that could have led to bullying. There was this elderly far-right lady that worked at my factory that caught me reading Silberman’s NeuroTribes. She asked if it explains how vaccines cause Autism (as you know, it explains where that anti-vax phenomenon came from), which I just brushed off by saying “I don’t know, I just started reading it.” and she responded “Oh, okay. Well let me know if it does!” She was certainly not intelligent enough to put two-and-two together and figure out that I own the book because I have Autism.)
(Lol, I just remembered a funny story that could have led to bullying. There was this elderly far-right lady that worked at my factory that caught me reading Silberman’s NeuroTribes. She asked if it explains how vaccines cause Autism (as you know, it explains where that anti-vax phenomenon came from), which I just brushed off by saying “I don’t know, I just started reading it.” and she responded “Oh, okay. Well let me know if it does!” She was certainly not intelligent enough to put two-and-two together and figure out that I own the book because I have Autism.)
