We commit to the AsIAm Same Chance Commitment

We, the undersigned, are a broad range of employers– we are businesses, big and small, new and established, from every sector of the Irish economy.

We firmly believe that businesses must reflect the diversity of the communities in which they operate. Businesses which are made up of employees from a wide range of diverse groups are more innovative, more competitive and achieve better results than those whose payrolls do not reflect their customer base.

In recognising that fact, we note that at least 1 in 65 people in Ireland are autistic. An even broader group of people are neurodiverse – their way of processing, experiencing, thinking and interacting with the environment being different, but no less valid, than the majority of the population.

85% of autistic people in Ireland are unemployed or underemployed. The consequences of this exclusion has a devastating impact on autistic people – leading to social isolation, poor mental health, poverty and a higher mortality rate. However, the loss is also far deeper than that – it represents a loss of brilliance, loyalty, honesty and focus that fundamentally comes from those who think differently. Small accommodations can remove barriers for autistic people at work, but they can also unlock skills and abilities which helps businesses gain the competitive edge and think outside the box. COVID-19 has shown us that it is possible to work differently and so presents unprecedented opportunities to create inclusive workplaces.

Like everyone in society, autistic people have a broad range of interests, skills and abilities. Different roles, different hours of work, different accommodations will be suited to different people however all autistic people have something to offer, and it has never been more urgent to take action as we see a generation of young autistic people age out of school and many more autistic adults receive diagnosis for the first time.

We therefore today commit ourselves and our businesses to the AsIAm Same Chance Commitment. In taking this commitment we undertake to:

• Work to make our recruitment processes more inclusive of everyone and to create opportunities for autistic people to access work experience, internships and jobs in our business.
• Avail of training to support us in this endeavour.
• Fully utilise the wide range of supports available to help us achieve this goal.
• Embed autism-friendly practises in all that we do, by listening to autistic advocate and most importantly autism community members in our business.
• To participate in the AsIAm and Irish Jobs Community of Practice to promote and develop autism- friendly employment in Ireland.

Signed by