A Modest Proposal To Make The World Aspie-Friendly

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Hey all,

It has been years since I've posted but I notice a lot of people frustrated with NT-friendly institutions, and I just wanted to raise an idea: FILE A COMPLAINT!

Here is the ADA form: http://www.ada.gov/complaint/

We're the most black and white thinkers of anyone in this country and world. If there's any government organization, institution, or business that you feel is discriminatory against you, you can file a complaint! Say that you're diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder, and the feds will go in and streamline the process so that place of business is more friendly for people with our condition! Imagine a world in which you can just go anywhere and complete business fast, efficiently, and without high pressure! No more need for sleazy salesmen! Just make sure to remember every single detail about the encounter, what about it you felt was discriminatory, and viola, complain! It's the way of the world!

And they'll take care of everything else. They'll step in, and the government HAS to find ways to make the business, government institution, or organization more Aspie-friendly!

You know! Shouldn't we be selling the positives about autism rather then the negatives? I happen to be an electrical engineer and I have skills that are on par with most EE's out there that have a Ph.d in this field, and I can attribute my autism to having such skills. My autism allows my to visualize designs in my head and come up with solutions to problems in seconds, that would take the average(NT) person, hours to do. I'm not trying to boast, just getting my point across. Now I do have some weaknesses as well, like I can't do interviews and resumes, I am not a good team player, and I have to be mindful of my work environment for sensory issues. Now if a can convince a employer that I work very well in a lab or shop by myself, then I might have an employed job. But it's just getting pass the red tape that keeping out of an employed job in the first place.

Now if we can just convince employers to change there employment practices and show them that they are missing out on some potently good employees because their hiring system is out of date. Rather then force it on to them with legal action. I think companies may look at this as a good thing.

Who know! I might be preaching to the choir on this one. But it's worth a try.

It might work occasionally, yes. Particularly with a small, up-coming company led by an eccentric enterpeneur. But how good was wheelchair access before they legislated to force employers to provide it? I think that in general, employers can't be reasoned with. As long as jobs are scarce, the employers are sitting pretty, and it shows in the cruel, unequal contracts they write. There's good evidence that countries with the most inequality are also the unhappiest and least functional overall, but have the bosses and governments listened and altered their ways?

They are not charities. Many business leaders have strong narcissistic traits, they are not gentlemen, and the few female ones are not ladies. They think their time is worth a thousand pounds a second, not worth wasting on the little man.

But it's sometimes worth a try. If they won't listen, you'll have more evidence for a formal complaint, in the same way as a creditor can more easily drag a debtor through the courts when they can show that they've given them every chance to make a reasonable deal.

A few days ago I posted a list of major US companies which specifically had initiatives to hire autistic people because they recognized that we have special strengths and skills. Unfortunately only two people replied to that post which I assumed was due to a lack of interest.

If you post a link to it here, you might get a few more comments. If I'd noticed it, I might have posted about my skepticism. My experience of large UK universities and one US university is that on paper they're wonderfully autism-friendly and aware like that, but that they're not interested enough to make anything but the cheapest, crudest adjustments, and that they regularly drop the ball and leave ASDers to advocate for themselves, which is ridiculous. But signing up is at least a start, and I think I'd have had a much harder time working for most other employers. I did know an employee diagnosed with OCD who was moved to a less stressful division because the division he was originally put in gave him bad panic attacks.

http://blog.theautismsite.com/companies-hiring/

Autism experts say this integration into the workplace is critical for those with autism to gain independence and improve their own quality of life. It’s not simply a stereotype to say that individuals with autism can possess astonishing and enlightened talents. Some with autism are highly artistic; some exhibit heightened memorization abilities; some are extremely adept with miniscule details.

Workers on the autism spectrum can contribute new potential and capacities to a company, thereby increasing not only the organization’s diversity, but also its range of capabilities. Thankfully, businesses are catching on to the advantage of hiring people on the spectrum.

This list features some of the top companies who are leading the push to integrate autism into their workplaces and actively hiring people on the autism spectrum.


Read more at http://blog.theautismsite.com/companies ... 2b5l3YH.99

If every person with an autism spectrum disorder filed 1 complaint for each action, decision, law, or situation that someone else has done, then the result might only be for people with ASDs to earn the reputation as complainers -- and deservedly so.

Instead of complaining, why not actually do something to change the way things are, instead of annoying others into doing it for you?

Add Microsoft to the list.
Software giant announces a pilot program to hire people with autism for full-time positions at its headquarters.

With a title like that, I was hoping you were gonna say we should eat the NTs.

I like a this kind of literary reference when it's swiftly delivered.

I'm happy with Aspies doing both. When one person complains about many things, it's often viewed with suspicion, and that's probably wise in most cases, but when many people complain about one thing, and it can draw attention to the problem they're all banging on about, it's evidence that a lot of people have felt wronged enough to complain. I don't see any mechanism by which we'd be labelled as complainers - who would notice and successfully apply such a label? Stubborn employers who felt forced to mend their ways might grunt something of the kind to each other, but provided they had to comply, their personal views wouldn't matter.

As I say, I like the idea of Aspies "doing something" to change the way things are, but I can't think of much that woudn't depend on spreading the notion that there's something wrong. And getting somebody else to do it for you is often the only way we can make any waves at all - we often need advocates to act on our behalf.