Is there any support for disabled seeking work?

daveandjadea

I have Asperger's Syndrome - I'm high-functioning so I can pass as a neurotypical ('normal') person and it hasn't caused problems in previous jobs I've held down long-term...however I've now been unemployed for 3 years and 9 months because with Asperger's I struggle to use a phone (limits what work I can do, and cannot always phone employers to arrange interviews) and during interviews I can seem very nervous.

In the 3 years and 9 months I've been out of work I've had maybe 4 interviews - the last one was a couple of weeks ago - and because I'm long-term unemployed I simply don't hear back from anyone any more. I attempt to find voluntary work but again, I never hear back from anyone.

I am on Job Seekers Allowance - I do have a disability advisor now, I didn't always, but he has been of no use what-so-ever, in fact both him and the other job centre staff remain ignorant of my disability. I requested to be sent to Remploy, I've been there 13 weeks and all they've done is sat me in front of a PC to job-search, which I could do from home, so they've been of no help either.

I'm not sure what else there is, my disability advisor at the job centre said Remploy was the only scheme available - is this true?

Is there any way I can get more support?

Ideally I'd like somewhere that could help me determine what jobs I could realistically apply for, help me with dealing with the gap in employment, generally help with job search rather than leave me to it, and in a perfect world somewhere that can help to set-up voluntary positions or work-trials, if not help find permanent work placement.

dseventy

daveandjadea wrote: »

Ideally I'd like somewhere that could help me determine what jobs I could realistically apply for, help me with dealing with the gap in employment, generally help with job search rather than leave me to it, and in a perfect world somewhere that can help to set-up voluntary positions or work-trials, if not help find permanent work placement.

Your describing the role of the disability adviser at JC+.

If you don't think you are getting the service from the current adviser, ask to swap?

D70

gardenia101

Shaw Trust may be able to help depending on where you are in the country. They don't cover my county, so can't comment on their employment help, sorry.

It is difficult when your disability advisor isn't much help. I didn't want to complain, even though I don't think I'm getting the service I should, as mine seems to be the life & soul of the jobcentre from what I've observed. Annoying her won't get me anywhere & may even make the "help" I receive even worse...

She often turns her PC screen to show me things - & I'm partially sighted! My favourite comment was when she said she thought "I'd be able to do the job blindfold". Thats lucky then.

I'm just trying to seriously get back into work now, after lots of adjustment & I'm doing most of it myself. Just turning up when I'm summoned so they can tick their boxes... Trying to be positive, but it isn't easy in the current jobs climate. Wish you luck.

Maybe someone on the disability board would have more tailored advice for your situation?

budgetboo

Shaw Trust do some amazing stuff for aspies & HFA - do please try and get in touch with them. We are talking training for proper well paid careers not just minimum wage jobs iykwim.

Or contact the autsim unit at the Maudsley hospital - they do specific cognitive behavioral therapy to help aspies overcome common barriers to work such as the telephone and job interviews. They do other therapies too, but its friends who have done the cbt successfully that I've come across. If you don't live in in London then because they are a national centre of excellence they will know where the expertise in your locality is so you can access it. The help you need is more likely to be via the NHS or a disability charity than the job centre. Have you contacted the national autisic society as they have a national database of useful organisations.

I don't know anyone who has got a job via the jobcentre - disabled or otherwise. Play the game so you don't lose benefits, but please don't expect them to be able to help you as they just don't have the training or expertise.

wantsajob

Hi, I'm in the same position and found next to no help. I went to University and did particularly well, but when it comes to interviews it's much the same story as for yourself. I did get a temporary job a few months back in a factory, but it was a case of checking you're a human being (no interview). I managed to stick it for 2 weeks - the physical demands of the factory work and behaviour of the supervisors were the main negative points. Otherwise I've been unemployed for just over 3 years.

I found Remploy next to useless, National Autistic Society who Remploy contacted - person in that job position left/was redeployed so went to an appointment only for noone to turn up. DEA at Jobcentre is nice and well meaning but struggles to access anything to refer me to, and the main thing she does is a job search. It probably depends where you live, what is available in your area.

CBT is rarely fully effective and is not a "magic wand", the differences compared with an NT will always be there. It requires effort which is little different to picking up the phone and making a call. If you have not come across this http://www-users.cs.york.ac.uk/~alistair/survival/ before, that may help you as much as CBT.

I fail to see why everyone thinks the onus is on people with Aspergers to overcome difficulties. Fair enough we can make some effort. However, the difficulties are not there through laziness, like everyone seems to think of those with Dyslexia. It is a Neurological difference in the brain. It's like expecting a wheelchair user to get out and walk. As numerous experts on the condition have said, people should be more accepting of the differences. Not being accepted is what causes most, if not all, of the difficulties. I'm seriously fed up of going to interviews and being given reasons clearly due to my disability as their reasons for not employing me - when the law states the employer must make reasonable adjustments.

daveandjadea

Shaw Trust have told me that they don't work with people on JSA.

I've contacted NAS with no success there either.

My disability advisor at the job centre can't be changed, he's the only one there...and even then he's not shown up for 50% of our appointments.

daveandjadea

wantsajob wrote: »

I fail to see why everyone thinks the onus is on people with Aspergers to overcome difficulties. Fair enough we can make some effort. However, the difficulties are not there through laziness, like everyone seems to think of those with Dyslexia. It is a Neurological difference in the brain. It's like expecting a wheelchair user to get out and walk. As numerous experts on the condition have said, people should be more accepting of the differences. Not being accepted is what causes most, if not all, of the difficulties. I'm seriously fed up of going to interviews and being given reasons clearly due to my disability as their reasons for not employing me - when the law states the employer must make reasonable adjustments.

Agreed.

As said I can pass for NT, and my problems are small enough so that my employers don't have to make any allowances what-so-ever so I don't need to mention my AS, but if I was to mention AS that would instantly make me understandable and too much effort for an employer. I find this particularly short-sighted given as we on the spectrum can also bring distinct advantages *shrugs*

This only gets worse when the economy is bad, it's 'everyone for themselves' and there's no room for equality...not even lip service. There's still a lot of ignorance about AS/ASD (both positive and negative), but at least we do seem to be gaining recognition and there's more on our side in theory - The 2009 Autism Act, for example.

All this is all just a symptom of a wider problem with our society of poor attitude towards disabled people and the British working ethic seriously lacking, in turn causing problems with employment and economy. It's not just employers being unreasonable or job centre being useless.

skater_kat

hiya,

Similar experiences here, DEA is not clued up on ASD needs and doesn't do anything other than sign me. i have been applying for jobs and get interviews. (got one tomorrow!) but not getting past interview yet.

maybe get some support from ASD forums? like these:

http://www.aspiesforfreedom.com/
http://www.asd-forum.org.uk/forum/

MSE support thread here: https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/604164


could you find out via NAS about any other support options in your area? for example where I live there is a mentoring service for ASD people which could help with the tricky interview stuff.

if there is nothing at all i have been reading some books on the subject - like this one: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Employment-Individuals-Aspergers-Non-verbal-Disability/dp/184310766X/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1321868693&sr=8-8 and this one: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Business-Aspies-Practices-Asperger-Successfully/dp/1849058458/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1321868725&sr=1-1

skater_kat

into IT?

http://www.autismworks.co.uk/work-with-us

skater_kat

http://www.autism.org.uk/our-services/employment-support/jobseekers.aspx

wantsajob

I personally feel I could never get a job without my disability being recognised and accepted, because people are too focussed on NT skills like interpersonal skills, customer service, and teamwork - even if the job itself does not require them to a big extent (cleaning work, admin work, data entry etc). Therefore I usually mention it whenever I apply for jobs, in the hope of some positive discrimination.

Once I made two applications for different jobs at Tesco. The one on which I stated I had Asperger's there was no interview. The one with no mention got an interview and was under the impression they were interviewing nearly all who applied. I've also had some instances were I've requested a guaranteed interview under scheme for disabled people, only for it to appear they have a preferred internal candidate already and are interviewing merely for the sake of it. So it seems to cause issues on both sides.