AWARENESS UPDATE: EMPLOYMENT NEWS

If one has Moebius Syndrome, one might--though by no means will this always be true, not at all--also have autism.  So the two pieces below are good news, as it is always good news when companies and institutions show more awareness and value to those with physical and other differences:

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First, we have this piece concerning Microsoft:

The launch of a new pilot program positions Microsoft as the latest corporate giant looking to tap the employment potential of those on the spectrum.

The company says plans are underway to hire individuals with autism for full-time positions at its Redmond, Wash. headquarters.

Microsoft said it will work with Specialisterne, a nonprofit that focuses on helping people with the developmental disorder apply their talents to work in the technology field, to facilitate the hiring effort.

Initially, the program is expected to include about 10 people with autism, a Microsoft spokeswoman told Disability Scoop.

“Microsoft is stronger when we expand opportunity and we have a diverse workforce that represents our customers,” wrote Mary Ellen Smith, Microsoft’s corporate vice president of worldwide operations, in a blog post announcing the pilot program. “People with autism bring strengths that we need at Microsoft, each individual is different, some have amazing ability to retain information, think at a level of detail and depth or excel in math or code.”

Smith, who has a 19-year-old son with autism, said that Microsoft already works with its vendor partners to employ people with disabilities in supported employment situations for roles in event services, transportation and food services. Though the new pilot program is focused on autism, Smith said Microsoft is “passionate about hiring individuals of all disabilities.”

Microsoft is not the first technology company to actively hire people with autism. SAP, a Germany-based software giant, has worked with Specialisterne to hire those on the spectrum in the United States and abroad.

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Then, there's this concerning the United Nations and one of its recent statements:

The leader of the United Nations is calling on businesses around the world to step up and do their part in employing people with autism.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is launching a “call to action,” urging employers to make “concrete commitments” to hire those on the spectrum.

“We encourage public offices, corporations and small businesses to have a closer look at the way they perceive people with autism, to take the time to learn about the condition and to create life-changing opportunities,” Ban said.

The announcement came Thursday during events at U.N. headquarters in New York to mark World Autism Awareness Day.

As part of the call to action, employers are being asked to commit to a quantifiable increase in the proportion of their workforce that is comprised of individuals with the developmental disorder.

“People with autism have enormous potential,” Ban said. “That is why it is so important for companies to understand their unique and often exceptional skills, and to enable work environments where they can excel. This requires appropriate vocational training and adequate support alongside a recruitment process that can allow people to successfully integrate into workforces around the world.”

U.N. officials say they plan to recognize businesses that pledge to increase employment of those on the spectrum during next year’s autism awareness day activities.

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