The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Man with Asperger’s urges employers to help with job hunt
Equality: Sean Smith says more needs to be done to accommodate people with the condition
A man with Asperger syndrome has called on Dundee employers to do more after struggling to find steady work for more than three years.
Sean Smith, 26, from Newport, made an online appeal after finding employers often only respond to applications when he hides his condition, or struggle to adapt when he is invited for interview.
Mr Smith claimed the experience is common for people living with Autistm Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) across the region.
He said: “My experience is that when I don’t disclose, that’s when I’m more likely to get a call back but when I get there, I get so nervous.
“An interview is such a fine line to walk in terms of etiquette and body language can be a big issue, especially if they don’t know beforehand.
“I think a common problem right now is we just don’t know whether we should reveal our ASDs or not and which employers will just scrap our applications if we do.”
Mr Smith’s background is in web development but said he is currently searching for any office job so he can prove his suitability to employers.
Despite being one of the highest achiever’s in his group while studying in Glasgow, he has found work particularly hard to come by since moving home and claims he is far from alone.
He said: “So many people I know with autism in Dundee and Fife are unemployed and having the same issue.
“Even something as simple as having a footnote at the bottom of a job advert to let us know the employer is ASD aware could make such a huge difference.
“It feels like I’m just hitting a stone wall at the moment.”
A spokeswoman for the National Autistic Society Scotland said the organisation has been working to raise awareness of an “autism employment gap” and said their own research had found just 16% of autistic adults in the UK are currently in full-time work.
She added: “We welcomed the Scottish Government’s recent pledge to halve the disability employment gap but we also believe that employers could be doing much more to play their part.
“We have launched new resources giving tips and guidance on how they can better recruit and support autistic people in work.”
Even something as simple as having a footnote at the bottom of a job advert to let us know the employer is ASD aware could make such a huge difference. SEAN SMITH