Asperger Employment Documentary to be made

On one of the asperger forums someone from a film company has posted about how they are working to produce a documentary about adults with Aspergers finding employment, as so many focus only on children or a 'special ability'.

So often the media like to bash unemployed people tarring them all with the "chav" brush, and its time something was made to counter with the plight of those with much intelligence and skills to offer but largely unable to sell themselves in interviews.

Potentially discriminating restaurant design

One well known roadside restaurant chain which I have often used since I have been a driver, has not been doing so well in recent times. Despite this they had a mixture of 4-8 seat tables for families, and two seat ones which I have felt comfortable to use. However, enter a well known TV chef and an appointed designer, the designers decide to have "communal tables" for those on their own, pictured:

This long table appears to have 9 seats each side, 18 in total. I would feel really uncomfortable with this, and my burning question is could this be seen as a discrimination against someone with Aspergers and similar who would feel discomfort at being made to sit at such a table? I'm sure that wasn't deliberately intented but have they really thought how someone with such a condition would find this intimidating? The chain's online news archive

Links to full article on Dezeen.com and the chain's archive, see the 'Big News' dated 28 November 2008.

"Easing us back in?" You've got to be joking

Today's session at Flexible Routeways was one of the worst for me. They said they were "easing us back in" after the break for Christmas and New Year. Started with a role play exercise where they set us scenarios of us being survivors of a plane which has fallen into the sea and co-ordinate our survival discussing the objects supposedly available to us. I just couldn't contribute at all, everyone else had plenty to say. Then there was the one about the nuclear bunker that's only big enough for 6 people but 12 of us to compete to be allowed to shelter in it. I pretty much sat this one out, they made me play the "god" who decides who can go in, but I couldn't decide anyway. They claimed this was to make the point about making people sell themselves as more deserving to be saved than the others, on a par with selling themselves in an interview as better than other potential applicants for the job.

I've always hated role plays. In the Flexible Routeways leaflet it says "the programme involves personal coaching and confidence building." Many people do think of these role plays as a way of confidence building, but if anything mine has dropped from being given this to do and not doing it well, it isn't the sort of thing that practice is going to make me any better at. Aspergers people often "lack imagination", the very quality most required to contribute to an exercise like that.

Market winding down for Christmas

Have sent six letters out this month but only four were for advertised vacancies, the remaining two being speculative ones now that an already subdued market is winding down further in the run up to Christmas.

November's update

Early this month several posts came up at the hospital again which the Flexible Routeways guy showed me.

They all have "Person Specifications" and sure enough there was:
- Good interpersonal skills.
- Ability to work under pressure.
- Ability to keep calm when pressured.
- Ability to communicate confidential information
- Must be a good team player
- Confident approach (yeah having aspergers means I'm anything but "confident")

One specifically had:
- Good verbal and written communication skills to enable liaison with:
- Relatives/ carers
- Multi-Disciplinary Team
- Colleagues in other Departments across organisation/ external agencies/ organisations

I know I'm certainly not calm when pressured and as for the one with the contact with relatives and carers they'd be likely to be very stressed and angry, and quite why the Flexible Routeways guy thought I could do this .....

Another position somewhere completely different had some potential on with finance aspect, but again talked of phone contact. There's always a "sods law" catch somewhere.

October's update

Well I've been going to the Flexible Routeways sessions on Wednesday mornings. Its been all about application forms and interviews so far, and how to sell oneself. I can't sell myself well because they talk of being 100% positive and no negatives at all, but with having to admit a disability like Aspergers how do you do that? Thought they were meant to be doing their bit to sell us on our behalf, seems too much emphasis on "coaching the jobseeker" rather than persuading potential employers.

Did have one interview this month with an electricians' firm. Wasn't too hopeful when they said they wanted answering phones and said "do you think you'd get more confident with practice?" It was a devil of job explaining that Asperger really is a disability with confidence to the extent that they can't expect me to "practice". My confidence may increase slowly with positive contact but one knockback such as someone being irate would send it through the floor.

I've kept rolling out the applications to the best of my ability, latest is one payroll trainee at the hospital where I've tried a few applications before, and an accounts assistant at a local car dealership. Usual frustration at everyone's requirements for "communication skills".

"Flexible Routeways"

Well a few weeks on and I've gone to this local provider to start on "Workstep" only they want to switch to something new called "Flexible Routeways". To start with I've just been going in on Friday mornings for a "job club", just looking at provided papers and the internet. Was hoping to hear of some ring-fenced job opportunities, while what I've seen today is only what everyone else can see on the whole open market. Well, one positive is it is their electricity to use for a couple of hours.

Flexible Routeways is "about providing extra encouragement and practical support to help unemployed people move into sustainable employment that is relevant and suitable for their needs. People involved will have a package of support and training built around an understanding of their specific circumstances." It often feels like few understand Aspergers syndrome from an employment perspective.