Most people within Ireland's autism community believe it is more difficult to find a job as an autistic person, according to a new report published by e-recruitment platform IrishJobs.ie and autism charity AsIAm.
Both employers and members of the autistic community took part in the survey and shared their experiences and perceptions of autism within the Irish workplace.
The findings reveal that almost four in five autistic people in Ireland face barriers to getting the job they want.
The report suggests a lack of understanding of autism on the part of employers, with 75% of employers saying they believe their staff do not know enough about autism to support an autistic colleague, while 76% of organisations lack a dedicated autism-friendly workplace policy.
Less than 29% of organisations currently employ, or are aware of employing, autistic individuals.
Among this cohort of employers, all recognise that these employees made a positive contribution to the workplace.
Available Government supports
According to the research, only 16% of employers are aware of the Government supports or schemes available toward recruiting and retaining autistic people and only 2% of employers have availed of these supports.
In total, 91% of employers believe there are insufficient supports and information for employers looking to recruit autistic individuals.
Adam Harris, Chief Executive of AsIAm said the report highlights the barriers that exist for autistic people in securing employment.
"We need to work together to educate companies on the huge contribution autistic people can make to the workforce and on the valuable contribution they can make to the economy.
"Our aim is to have a more inclusive society which is fair to autistic people and as we emerge from this pandemic, we have an amazing opportunity to start afresh, to create a workforce which truly accepts autistic people - valuing our contribution, meeting our needs and working together," he said.
Through their new partnership, IrishJobs.ie and AsIAm will be offering masterclasses, training programmes and toolkits designed to educate employers on how best to support autistic employees and prospective employees.
