Employment prospects for neurodiverse people set to be boosted with launch of new expert panel

The panel – headed up by Professor Amanda Kirby and comprising of leading academics in the neurodiversity field – will develop recommendations for ministers this summer, as part of the government’s Plan for Change, which will put money back into people’s pockets, boost living standards, and drive economic growth.  

The latest employment figures demonstrate the stark reality for many, with the employment rate for disabled people with autism at 31% compared to 54.7% for all disabled people – highlighting a significant gap for some neurodiverse people.  

The work of the panel will focus on what actions employers can take to foster a more inclusive workplace but also what actions the government can introduce to break down barriers to opportunity for people with a neurodiverse condition, such as autism. 

Minister for Social Security and Disability, Sir Stephen Timms, said: “For too long disabled people and those with a neurodiversity condition have been left behind, ignored, and not given the support they need to get into work.  

“As part of our Plan for Change, we will turn this around, and with the expertise of these leading academics we will achieve our mission of supporting neurodivergent people into the workplace and reaching our 80% employment rate ambition.”

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Building on and broadening previous neurodiversity work, the panel met for the first time to begin work on supporting the Government’s drive to improve the employment experiences of neurodivergent people.  

Chair of the Academic Panel, Professor Amanda Kirby, said: “I am delighted to chair this panel in what I see is an important and essential piece of work considering how we can drive forward neuroinclusive practices in workplaces to maximise the potential of all and make this become ‘business as usual’”

This panel follows the launch of the Keep Britain Working review, led by Sir Charlie Mayfield, to explore how businesses and government can collaborate to unlock disabled talent.  

The latest figures showed the disability inactivity rate was 41.7% in Q3 2024, compared to 14.7% for non-disabled people.