Job interviews can be difficult – or traumatic – enough for the most confident of people, so what might it be like for someone who has autism?
Figures revealed by the National Autistic Society show that only 16 per cent of autistic people are in full-time paid work, highighting the difficulties they face in joining mainstream society. A petition has been launched by the society calling on the government to take action to double the number of autistic people in work.
As part of the campaign, the charity has launched another film in collaboration with agency Don't Panic London which it hopes will perform as successfully as other recent videos. Could You Stand the Rejection? follows autistic actor Max Green as he becomes increasingly overwhelmed by the pressures exerted on him by interviewers who are unsure how they should interact with an autistic candidate.
At the end of the film Max sits slumped outside an office block, upset and overwhelmed. It finishes with the message: "I’m not unemployable, I’m autistic."
The charity hopes supporters will share the video on social media using the hashtag #AutismTMI.
Mark Lever, chief executive of the National Autistic Society, said: "Not all autistic people are able to work. But many are, and are desperate to find jobs that reflects their talent and interests. With a little understanding and small adjustments to recruitment and the workplace, they can be a real asset to businesses across the UK. Autistic people deserve that chance."
