19 Jan 2012, 7:23 pm
Hello! I just read about this company that tests software and they hire only individuals with Asperger's or HFA. I think this is just the greatest! Just wanted to pass the info along for those who might be interested! 
Aspiritech
19 Jan 2012, 7:36 pm
19 Jan 2012, 7:58 pm
I understand the point you raise. I don't have the legal/politically correct answer though!
As you probably know, the unemployment rate for those on the Spectrum is unacceptably and outrageously high -- 85% according to Aspiritech, so in my view it would be nonsensical to accuse any company addressing this serious unemployment problem of discrimination. Anyway, I don't think it actually states on the Aspiritech website that they hire only those with Asperger's or HFA (those were my clumsy words).
20 Jan 2012, 2:44 am
20 Jan 2012, 3:24 am
I understand the point you raise. I don't have the legal/politically correct answer though!
As you probably know, the unemployment rate for those on the Spectrum is unacceptably and outrageously high -- 85% according to Aspiritech, so in my view it would be nonsensical to accuse any company addressing this serious unemployment problem of discrimination. Anyway, I don't think it actually states on the Aspiritech website that they hire only those with Asperger's or HFA (those were my clumsy words).
It is discrimination. Whether it's a good or bad thing in this case is irrelevant.
20 Jan 2012, 7:21 am
Yes, and no.
You can convincingly argue that people with HFA would actually be the best people for the job. Legally, i'm pretty sure it would only be discrimination if they just binned CV's of people who did not say they were a HFA. However, If you just gave the job to the person who you thought would be best suited to the working conditions and environment then I don't think you could actually be prosecuted for discrimination, especially if your taking on people who are legally recognised as being autistic since the spotting small details other people don't is part of the diagnostic criteria.
I'm not a Solicitor, but I used to work for one. I'm pretty confident most lawyers wouldn't wish to touch such a case with a barge pole. Firstly, i'd be virtually impossible to win. I suspect you'd have to disprove the diagnostic criteria for autism as a starting point to prove that someone without autism could do a better job spotting small details. Secondly, I have just had a quick look, and while there are a good many laws that cover making it illegal to discriminate against disabled people there don't actually appear to be any against favouring them. 
Presumably nobody considered that when drafting the laws. Though maybe they did? There have been businesses offering work solely to physically disabled people for at least a century in the UK so presumably the idea is not new. The other point is that I don't honestly think you could win. The people have the final word; I can't see a British jury agreeing that a business should not be allowed to offer employment solely to a legally recognised and protected minority who may otherwise have difficulty finding work, and I can't see a defending lawyer not milking that point for all it's worth.
Lastly, even if you could win the case the negative PR would make it an effective loss than no lawyer would want to be associated with. Think of the newspaper headlines! I don't know about the US media, but the UK media would have a field day over something like that.
20 Jan 2012, 7:36 am
Actually, I think Aspiritech may be be specifically set up to employ those on the Spectrum -- again, because of the unacceptably high unemployment rate -- and it may not actually be a FOR PROFIT company -- so legally speaking, they are probably completely in the clear.
Anyway, it's a great thing. At least some people care enough to do something!
