LOS ANGELES, April 1, 2019 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- auticon, a social enterprise that employs adults with autism in roles as quality assurance analysts and IT consultants working on software and web-based applications, is encouraging businesses to participate in World Autism Awareness Day. In doing so, companies are challenged to make simple changes to their office environment to better accommodate workers with autism.
World Autism Awareness Day is an internationally recognized day on 2 April every year, encouraging Member States of the United Nations to raise awareness about neurodiversity.
Autistic adults often have extraordinary cognitive abilities, such as logic, pattern recognition, precision, sustained concentration, and an ability to intuitively spot errors; yet many find it difficult to secure or maintain mainstream employment. Market studies show that only 15 to 20% of autistic people work within the mainstream labor market, often despite being highly qualified. auticon taps into this potential by supporting autistic adults with job coaches and project managers and produces a win-win-win situation for clients, autistic analysts, as well as society.
Office design plays an essential role in reducing stress for adults with autism, who may have sensitivities to noise, bright lights, and social interactions common at work. Given this, auticon is challenging businesses to make one or more of the following changes to their office on April 2nd:
- Designate a quiet room in the office where workers can escape noise and commotion
- Dim bright lights; turn off fluorescent lights
- Reduce or eliminate background music in hallways, bathrooms and communal spaces
- Allow use of noise canceling headphones
- Provide healthy food options as many people on the spectrum have dietary restrictions
- Make participation in company social events optional
- Lower voices in hallway conversations
auticon wants companies to share their office changes, post photos, and show support for World Autism Awareness Day on social media using hashtag #AutismAtWork.
Rebecca Beam, auticon U.S. President, said:
"We're hopeful that businesses will see how these simple changes in the workplace can make a huge difference in everyone's lives, particularly those with autism. These changes could last the day, the week, the month or be made permanent."
About auticon: auticon is an IT and compliance consulting business and the first enterprise to exclusively employ adults on the autism spectrum as IT consultants, providing quality assurance testing on software and web-based applications. It was founded in Berlin in November 2011 with investment from the Munich and London-based Ananda Social Venture Fund. auticon appointed Kurt Schöffer as CEO in 2013 to grow and expand the social enterprise. An international entrepreneur in the IT, energy and media sectors, Kurt was also an original investor in auticon. auticon employs more than 100 IT consultants on the autism spectrum in the UK, Germany, France, Canada, United States and Switzerland, and is the first social enterprise to scale this model across Europe. For more information, visit http://www.auticon.com
SOURCE auticon
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