Autism in the workplace

From Solidarity 405, 18 May 2016.

Cathy Nugent reviews Autism Equality in the Workplace: Removing barriers and challenging discrimination by Janine Booth.
Available to buy online here.

Published on the Jessica Kingsley Publishers blog.

Autism educator Damian Milton (South Bank University, National Autistic Society) recently spoke with author Janine Booth about some of the issues raised in her new book, Autism Equality in the Workplace: Removing Barriers and Challenging Discrimination. During the interview Janine speaks at length about the importance of unions for employees with autism and how improved communication and understanding of autism by employers can benefit all workers.

Click here to read Unionlearn's plug for Janine's new book, Autism Equality in the Workplace.

Unionlearn is a great resource for trade union learning representatives, and for all trade unionists interested in gaining knowledge and skills and encouraging workmates to do so too.

Published as a blog post on TUC unionlearn:

Three years ago, at the age of 45, I was diagnosed as autistic. It made complete sense to me, like being short-sighted all my life and finally getting a pair of glasses!

• LUL Fit for the Future Stations Equality Impact Assessment
• Disability discrimination cases in LUL
• Employers' disability policies
• Proposed employment policy on Autism
• RMT training
• Disabled People Against Cuts (DPAC)
• UK Disability History Month
• UN to investigate UK government
• Access to Work survey
• WOW petition

This is the speech that I gave in the opening plenary of Workers' Liberty's 'Ideas for Freedom' event in 2013 - originally published here.

From the TUC handbook, Autism in the Workplace

In 2013, Labour MP Ian Mearns introduced a Ten-Minute Rule Bill to require the police to maintain a register of hate crimes committed against people with learning difficulties, learning disabilities and autism. During the early months of 2014, this Bill is progressing through its Parliamentary stages.