More than one third of autistic people in Australia are unemployed or underemployed. Research by the Autistic Self-Advocacy Network of Australia and New Zealand (ASAN AUNZ) showed that most autistic people wanted resources for self-advocacy in employment.
To this end, the Self-Advocacy@Work Project was created and run by the Sylvia Rodger Academy, an initiative of Autism CRC. Our vision is to see autistic people with quality of life and opportunity.
Led by autistic project officers, we worked with 10 autistic adults to co-design, develop and deliver self-advocacy employment resources by, and for, the autistic community. All the resources on this site have been created by autistic individuals. The project officers were Ashton Bartz and Hayley Clapham.
Acknowledgements
We would like to acknowledge and thank the people involved in the design and development of the Self-Advocacy@Work Project.
ASAN-AUNZ for their contributions to this project.
Our Sylvia Rodger Academy alumni working group:
- Trudy Bartlett
- Alex Creece
- Sunday Harper Burnett
- Jen Harland
- Tammy McGowan
- Susanna Poredos
- Amanda Porter
- Hayley Russell
- Susan
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Self-Advocacy?
Self-advocacy is when a person communicates about their views, needs, interests or rights. Some people say self-advocacy is about ‘speaking up’ for themselves and about the things that matter to them, but you don’t have use verbal communication to self-advocate.
A person might advocate for their rights, for change and equality and to make decisions and choices about their lives.
Why is Self-Advocacy important?
Self-advocacy is a skill that supports people to explain what they need and why. It is an important skill for work, which often is a big part of our lives.
Autistic people have higher rates of unemployment, discrimination, bullying, burnout and mental health issues. So, being able to speak up and self-advocate for yourself - and your rights and needs – can be important in the workplace. Good self-advocacy skills take time to learn and practice.
What is Self-Advocacy@Work?
Developed by and for autistic people, Self-Advocacy@Work supports autistic people to navigate the world of employment, understand workplace rights and develop self-advocacy skills.
It provides resources that have all been produced by autistic authors, including an interactive self-advocacy plan.
Why was Self-Advocacy@Work created?
More than one third of autistic people in Australia are unemployed or underemployed. Research by the Autistic Self-Advocacy Network of Australia and New Zealand (ASAN AUNZ) showed that most autistic people wanted resources for self-advocacy in employment.
To this end, the Self-Advocacy@Work Project was created and run by the Sylvia Rodger Academy, an initiative of Autism CRC. Our vision is to see autistic people with quality of life and opportunity.
How was Self-Advocacy@Work developed?
Led by autistic project officers, we worked with 10 autistic adults to co-design, develop and deliver self-advocacy employment resources for the autistic community. All the resources on this site have been created by autistic individuals.
I need help advocating – can you provide any support services?
We aren’t a service provider, but there are resources to guide someone to advocate for themselves by making a plan, or seek additional help.