Slashdot Mirror
Tech Giant SAP Seeks To Hire More Autistic Adults (cio.com)
itwbennett writes: In May 2013, SAP launched its Autism at Work program, with the goal of recruiting and hiring 'hundreds of people' with autism worldwide. Now the company is expanding the program, and is looking to have people on the autism spectrum make up 1 percent of its total workforce (~650 people) by 2020, says José Velasco, head of the Autism at Work program at SAP. So far, autistic workers fulfill all kinds of roles in IT — from software testing, data analysis, quality assurance to IT project management, graphic design, finance administration and human resources, Velasco says, and the potential for new roles is expanding rapidly.
Hmm... I expect no more unemployed people on Slashdot.
That said, they're going to capitalize the ever living hell out of people's mental disorder and are trying to spin this as a positive thing? What's next? Hiring people in wheelchairs specifically so you can save money on office furniture? We want to save on the water bill, it's a green initiative, so we're hiring people with catheters!
Hmm... I'm a cynical bastard today.
"So long and thanks for all the fish."
Also hiring people because of their handicap regardless of whether they're as suitable as another normal candicate is not only patronising to all concerned but is doing the austistic a disservice as they'll more than likely struggle in the role and reinforce the stereotype.
Wow. How about you treat autistic people like human beings and accept that if they tell you they can do a job and appear qualified and make a good impression at the interview, maybe they are not lying?
I have a disability. If I tell someone I can do a job it's not because I'm lying to get the job. That would be pointless, I'd switch to their company, be found out and end up unemployed. In fact I'd make damn sure that I could do the job and they would be accommodating before even accepting it.
const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
I work for the Navy, and they are currently in the process of switching their entire financial system to a SAP ERP system (my command has been using it for about 2 years now). The Navy LOVES paying extra for services from companies that hire the disabled (my notepads say "made by blind people"). I can't help but think that someone did the math and found out after tax breaks and premiums on government contracts that it pays very well to hire the disabled. Hell, that's practically skillcrafts entire business model, the gov will pay far more for items made in the US by disabled people than a made in China item.
It looks like the Americans with Disabilities Act only prohibits discriminating against people with disabilities, and not discriminating for them. I didn't see any mention of outlawing discriminating for people with disabilities (see Sec. 12112. Discrimination, here.)