Saturday, November 03, 2007


People with Autism Deserve to Earn a Living
Praise the lord and pass the Danish. Really, the DANISH. Get it? (See that flag? Denmark.) Many people with autism never graduate from high school, despite their high intelligence. You can image what that means for their job prospects.
A Danish IT company has found a creative way to hire people with autism and Asperger's who do not have diplomas by implementing a "Certification Program."
Something like 75% of their employees are on the spectrum. Which would make their Christmas party a rather quiet affair but still, it sounds pretty damn good to me.
We need this kind of program in American companies. If our companies can hire "Sanjay I can barely understand you from Bombay" they can hire people on the Spectrum. Can and SHOULD.
Read the full article HERE.

10 comments:

Essential Amy said...

My husbands family is from Denmark and we have visited there a few times. Each time I go, I wonder why we ever leave. It's a really amazing and beautiful place. My son absolutely loves it there.The Danes really seem to have a handle on the way life should be. I know that's a sweeping generalization, but it's in a good way, right?

Kim Rossi Stagliano said...

And their breakfast sweets are damn good too. Blueberry cheese danish. Mmmmmmmmm. I love America, but we've much to learn. Much. Thanks for dropping in!

Essential Amy said...

Don't even get me started on the food! It was just a total zen experience for me. It really changed me as a person. We are saving up for another trip over the summer. I cannot wait!

Steve said...

Check out what Walgreens is doing here in the good 'ol USA. I first read about it in Exceptional Parent magazine, but this video clip explains it very well. Very cool.

m said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

We europeans do positive descrimination really well!

Michelle O'Neil said...

Are you making Danish? I'll be right over.

Anonymous said...

Brilliant! Can I say 'Europe' wins again! You'd move there just for the Danish right?
Cheers

Kim Rossi Stagliano said...

Then Denmark is on the news today for being the world leader in using wind power. Jesus, if we got our politicians to just talk in one direction we'd have a enough wind power to light Manhattan. But noooo, American's think windmills are ugly! And so we tilt at windmills and beg the Saudis to trickle us some oil. $100 a barrel????????

Anonymous said...

Hey, I can say that GE windmill blades moved through the Port of New Orleans headed to the midwest this summer. Somebody's catching on, but fyi, windmills are loud.

Maybe we could power this country by putting baked goods of the world at the end of a treadmill, folks exerting to reach the baklava. Wait, that sounds a little like hell.