EU projects help people with autism get a foothold on the employment ladder
4 Apr 2014 11:35 AM
A
series of European Commission pilot projects have helped around 100 Europeans
with autism from five EU countries to get into the job market, a new report
released on World Autism Awareness Day (2 April), shows. The projects aimed to
boost the employment prospects of people with autism spectrum disorders (ASD)
in Bulgaria, Germany, Denmark, Poland and Italy. People with autism can be
empowered and thrive in structured and well-organised job environments. The
European projects shed new light on the challenges and obstacles facing people
with ASD in entering the labour market while identifying best practices that
can help them overcome these challenges.
Vice-President Viviane Reding, the EU's Justice
Commissioner said: "People with disabilities face barriers getting into
the workforce. They often find themselves cut off from the opportunities
enjoyed by others. We are taking action to change this. The EU projects
reported today show what practical steps can be taken to improve the work
prospects of people with autism. I want to see these good practices replicated
in more countries so that people with autism across Europe can benefit and
considered fit and right for the job."
People with autism are a diverse group that includes
people with an intellectual disability as well as those with average or above
average cognitive abilities. Existing barriers put them often in a complex
situation as their symptoms – impairments in social interaction and
communication or restricted interests – put them at a disadvantage in the
many service sector jobs in today’s job market. At the same time they
often have strengths such as accuracy, a good eye for detail, reliability and
meticulous application of routine tasks, making them particularly well-suited
to specific work environments.
The
EU-sponsored pilot projects ran from 2011-2013 and focused on assessing the
needs of people with autism, offering targeted training and support to improve
skills and overcome the challenges identified, and finally placing the project
participants with employers.
Examples include:
-
Training and placement of 20 people with ASD in the
information and communication technology (ICT) sector in
Bulgaria;
-
Integration of 17 young adults into the labour market in
Germany, with the assistance of job coaches who helped with job applications
and following recruitment;
-
A
five-month programme which places people with ASD as consultants performing
specialist tasks such as software testing and ICT programming in around 30
businesses and non-profit organisations in Denmark and Poland;
-
Training of 18 tutors to support the placement of 27
people with ASD in work with a variety of small businesses and public sector
employers in Italy.
The
Commission will continue to work with the European Parliament and with Member
States to raise awareness to autism in order to improve their access to the job
market. Autism-Europe, an organisation benefiting from EU funding, is
conducting a campaign to raise awareness across Europe about the needs of
Europeans with autism in the fields of education and employment. The good
practices developed under the pilot projects will also be made available for
use in other projects around Europe.
Background
Access to employment is recognised as a fundamental
human right in the UN Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities, to
which the EU is a party.
According to the Academic Network of European Disability
experts, the proportion of people with disabilities not participating in the
labour market is at least twice as high as that of average EU citizens.
According to statistics from Autism Europe, incidence of
diagnosed ASD in children in Europe appears to be in a range of 6 to 20 per
1000. In recent decades the number of people diagnosed with ASD has increased
significantly.
The
EU’s Disability Strategy runs from 2010-2020 and aims
to break down barriers to people with disabilities in areas ranging from
employment to transport and services. The strategy focuses on empowering people
with disabilities to enjoy their rights on an equal basis with others and on
removing obstacles in everyday life.
For
more information
Report: Results of four pilot projects on employment of
people with autism:
http://ec.europa.eu/justice/discrimination/files/report_pi
lot_projects_empl_autism_2014_en.pdf
European Commission – People with
disabilities:
http
://ec.europa.eu/justice/discrimination/disabilities/index_en.htm
Homepage of Vice-President Viviane Reding, EU Justice
Commissioner:
http://ec.europa.eu/reding
Follow the Vice-President on Twitter: @VivianeRedingEU
Follow EU Justice on Twitter: @EU_Justice
Autism Europe:
http:/
/www.autismeurope.org/activities/world-autism-awareness-day/