World Autism Acceptance Week is taking place from Tuesday 2nd April (World Autism Awareness Day) to Monday 8th April 2024.
Three Sixty Design Solutions is supporting World hashtag#AutismAcceptanceWeek because we’re committed to investing in our business which includes helping our employees to develop their careers in a comfortable, safe and healthy environment.
We spoke to Martin Shepherd, our Director of Sustainability and Mechanical Engineering, who has 25 years of experience within the industry and was recently diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (Asperger’s).
He says: “Previously it felt culturally challenging due to the lack of awareness and education but I’m glad to see that companies such as Three Sixty Design Solutions want to listen and help. They have supported me with obstacles that can induce high levels of anxiety and understood the importance of male mental health that hadn’t been highlighted before.
“Updates within technology such as Microsoft introducing a dark theme in 2016 countered my struggle with overstimulation from bright lighting. At our Chichester head office, the team helped set my desk up in a darker zone that allows me to focus on my work, and fostered and provided a supportive environment.
“I’ve realised that autism is a part of me and feel that my team understands and accepts this. I have found that my autism assists me in my work by being more solution oriented, using creativity to find more novel and innovative solutions to challenges. But without the right supportive environment, in the past this has been difficult for me up until recently.
“I find it shocking that only 29% of people with autism are in any form of employment which re-iterates that companies still have a long way to go.”
