| Dear Hcis,
The US workforce continues to experience major barriers to inclusive employment. Up to 90% of adults with Autism are unemployed or underemployed, and up to 85% of Autistic adults with college degrees remain unemployed. Many factors contribute to these staggering statistics such as wrongly assumed expectations, unfair labor practices, or being unable to advocate for one’s self.
October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month and the Autism Society strives to bring awareness to these barriers. Your continued support will help the Autism Society create connections that lead to scalable solutions for job-seekers and employers alike.
The Autism Society is developing an Employment Task Force to address systemic barriers and increase employment in the Autism community. The Task Force consists of experts, advocates, and key stakeholders on neurodiversity and employment. The task force will help guide our strategic initiative to improve employment outcomes for Autistic individuals.
Our legislative efforts push for policies that prioritize inclusive employment with fair wages. In 2021, approximately 2,000 people attended Autism Society employment workshops nationwide to support Autistic job-seekers within their communities. At the national level, we continue to collaborate with corporate partners and employers to advance the state of employment; in collaboration with the Institute for Community Inclusion, we recently released Creating a Path: How to Support Families and Young Adults with Autism to Prepare for Competitive Integrated Employment.
We need to shift the dialogue from thinking of Autistic employment as a charitable act to recognizing it as a competitive advantage. Your continued support has allowed us to prioritize our employment initiative and continued advocacy efforts in order to further this dialogue. Your generosity towards improving the future state of Autistic employment will make all the difference. Thank you for your consideration in making a gift to support the Autism Society of America.
Sincerely, | 
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