Americans for Autism Advocacy Calls on Business Community and US Department of Labor to Increase Labor Force Participation in the Neurodiversity Community

U.S. Department of Labor Statistics from February 2024 found that only 24.5 percent of disabled adults are participating in the workforce.

Americans for Autism Advocacy is calling on the United States Department of Labor (DOL) and stakeholders in the business community to find solutions to increase the workforce participation rate in disabled adults in this nation.  This includes those who identify with the neurodiversity community.

The Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) within the United States DOL reported in its February 2024 statistics that only 24.5 percent of disabled adults are participating in the workforce while the unemployment rate is at 8.6 percent.  This is nearly three times the overall unemployment rate of 3.7 percent.  At a time when businesses are having a hard time

Americans for Autism Advocacy believes in the following principles in increasing employment in the neurodiversity community.

1. Employers must be educated about neurodiversity in the workplace and working towards accommodations to improve internal recruiting goals.  A March 2024 poll by Eagle Hill Consulting found that 68% of U.S. employees are unfamiliar with the term neurodiversity.

2. Preserve and protect the current framework of the Americans with Disabilities Act while updating the current definition of “intellectual disability”.  Any ADA reform must reflect the true meaning of neurodiversity.  A March 11, 2024 report by Bloomberg Law has found that neurodiversity discrimination charges have steadily increased since 2016 in the United States.  The lack of a plan by the Biden Administration to address neurodiversity discrimination in the workplace is concerning.  Both the government and business advocates must work together on a solution that is aimed towards improving neurodiversity hiring.

3. All businesses large and small will either have to accommodate their workplace for neurodiverse employees or lose out on talent to other companies.  Accommodations like remote work are proven for neurodiverse employees.  Large companies are imposing return to work mandates in response to COVID-19 ending. However, research from MIT Sloan found that companies that do not invest in remote work are losing out on top talent.

American business must work to ensure that proper accommodations for the neurodiverse can increase the amount of disabled Americans that are employed.  Americans for Autism Advocacy is committed to supporting legislation and other initiatives that are meant to reduce unemployment for all neurodiverse Americans.