The challenging landscape for individuals with disabilities

Significant barriers still exist for individuals with disabilities or neurodivergence to gain meaningful work with many working in roles well below their capability or not working at all.

Research indicates that neurodivergent individuals, particularly those with autism, experience the lowest employment rates among all disability groups. In the United Kingdom, data from the Office for National Statistics in 2020 revealed that only 21.7% of autistic people were employed, significantly lower than the 52.1% employment rate for all disabled individuals and the 81.3% for non-disabled people.

Cuts to the Independent Living Fund’s (ILF) Person-Centred Planning Grant and social work cuts have created barriers for young adults with additional support needs leaving school/college often without critical transition support.

Disabled individuals are often excluded from decisions about their lives, perpetuating disempowerment and limiting opportunities.

“Empowering individuals to shape their futures is vital to achieving meaningful inclusion and equity and that is at the heart of our work" Maria Hamilton, NIW CIC