What 20 months in inclusive employment has taught us at EmployAble

When EmployAble launched in 2024, we set out with one clear mission: to create a world where autistic people and people with learning disabilities who want to work, can work.

Twenty months in, we have seen real wins. Partnerships formed. Candidates placed into meaningful, paid roles. People thriving in work. And yet, if we are honest about the bigger picture, the story is not so rosy and here are three reasons why:

1. The numbers are stark

Let’s start with the hard facts. Around 82% of non-disabled working age people in the UK are in work. For disabled people overall, that figure falls to around 53%. For autistic people, it drops to roughly 30%. And for people with learning disabilities, it falls to below 5%.

And worst of all, these numbers have barely shifted in years despite growing awareness, more initiatives and more employer campaigns. For people with learning disabilities in particular, exclusion from paid work remains the norm, not the exception.

2. There is more activity but outcomes lag

Over the past 20 months we have seen a growing focus on inclusion. The number of job postings referencing neurodiversity has grown. Companies are actively reviewing recruitment processes and Government has launched panels and strategies and committed funding for the scaling up of Supported Internship programmes and to get economically inactive people back into work.

This activity is welcomed, but the correlation between these efforts and what is being said and done and what is changing is still weak.

In 2025, disabled employment rates actually fell. The conversation around inclusion is louder than ever, but it is not leading to more jobs. Too often, increases in disabled workforce numbers are driven by existing employees disclosing a disability, rather than by deliberate efforts to create opportunities for new employees with learning disabilities and autism. Rhetoric is not enough. Good intentions are not enough. What moves the dial is sustained, structural change.

3. Too many people are still being left out entirely

One of the most uncomfortable trends of the past 20 months is that, while the employment system is getting better at supporting the most ‘job-ready’ candidates, it is not getting better at including everyone else.

Many of the most visible employer-led neurodiversity programmes favour graduates, people with strong communication skills, and those who need minimal support. As a result, people with higher support needs and more complex profiles are often excluded. Other long-standing barriers remain in place: traditional interviews are still the norm, workplaces often fail to address sensory needs, and line managers too often lack the confidence or training to offer effective support. On top of this, the benefits system can make taking on paid work feel risky. These barriers have been recognised for years, which makes it especially disappointing that they remain so firmly entrenched.

With all this said, there are two reasons why the future is hopeful:

1. Employer openness is growing

At EmployAble, we have worked with employers across a wide range of sectors who are increasingly willing to adapt and rethink how they recruit, carve out suitable roles, and see potential in candidates who might previously have been overlooked. This shift in mindset creates real opportunities.

2. Evidence based outcomes

The clearest and most consistent finding from the past 20 months is that when people are presented with appropriate work opportunities and receive the right support, they get into work and stay there. Supported employment with tailored job coaching, on-the-job guidance, and ongoing employer engagement yields evidence that supported employment works. At EmployAble, we see this every day. The challenge is scaling it. Capacity is still tiny relative to need, and too many people who would benefit from supported employment never access it.

Where does this leave us:

Around 77% of unemployed autistic people and 65% of people with learning disabilities want to work. The desire is there. So, the gap is in how recruitment is managed; the availability of work opportunities; the availability of support and the ambition of policy.

EmployAble exists because we believe that gap can close. Not through more reports or awareness campaigns alone, but through direct action working with employers who are ready to change and making sure the people who want work most are not left out.

That’s the work we are doing. And we’re just getting started. Join the wave today!