The live 5-part virtual series “SAP Autism at Work: Accelerating Workforce Inclusion” will premiere on 6 October 2020. The event aims to help organisations in starting a diversity and inclusion program for people who identify on the autism spectrum.
Presented by SAP Purpose Network Live, the digital event is part of SAP’s Autism Inclusion Pledge initiative that aims to foster neurodiversity in the workplace by encouraging organisations to rethink employment possibilities. It will showcase SAP’s best practices in starting a diversity and inclusion program for individuals on the autism spectrum—a group that often has some of the most unique abilities and talents, but are also often overlooked and find themselves either underemployed or unemployed (80 percent do not have a job, according to a report by SAP).
Insights on Starting an Autism Inclusion Program
Over a course of 5 weeks, SAP leaders and executives will share insights on how organisations can jumpstart, expand, or enhance their autism and neurodiversity inclusion journey. Participants will hear how they can efficiently allocate the resources needed to facilitate autism inclusion, improve culture, create connections with a deep, diverse yet underutilized talent pool, and encourage rethinking of pre-conceived perceptions.
The webcast series sessions are as follows:
Broadening the Vision of Inclusion: The Value of an Autism-Inclusive Workforce (6 October 2020)
Session 1 of “SAP Autism at Work: Accelerating Workforce Inclusion” will feature SAP’s best practices and how the company is addressing barriers of entry and common challenges faced by candidates with autism in a job market designed for neurotypical candidates. Speakers will also discuss how autism inclusion is on the rise as a key driver for innovation and diversity of thought for many organisations.
The Power of the SAP Autism at Work Program (13 October 2020)
Session 2 will present how and why SAP has embraced a neurodiversity initiative to welcome many skilled workers who otherwise might have been underemployed or unemployed. Participants will learn how their organisations can leverage SAP’s own experiences in its autism inclusion journey to align with their strategy, culture, and values. Panelists will share stories of how managers, teams and customers benefit from a neurodivers workplace.
Better Together – Stories from the Employee and Manager Perspective (20 October 2020)
The third session will showcase insightful stories of professional growth and organisational contributions from both the employee and manager perspective.
Topics include:
- Lessons learned from talented workers and their managers
- Perspectives on growth and personal impact
- Impacts experienced on team culture
Practical Guidance on Creating Inclusive Workforces (27 October 2020)
This session will dive into the details on how organisations can go about starting a diversity and inclusion program for people on the spectrum and the experiences of partners and customers running autism or neurodiversity inclusion programs. Panelists include industry leaders Joe Riddle, Director of Neurodiversity in the Workplace—an organisation that aims to shed light on the possibilities that workforce diversity can offer to employers as well as their communities—and Byron Dai, the Co-Founder & CEO of Daivergent, a Public Benefit Corporation dedicated to the autism and developmental disability community.
How the SAP Autism Inclusion Pledge Inspires Organisations (10 November 2020)
The last session of the SAP Purpose Network Live event will cover the software solutions company’s SAP Autism Inclusion Pledge program that offers an “always-on” opportunity for organisations across industries to share resources, outline best practices, and convey lessons learned with all who are interested.
Those who will join the pledge (which has zero associated costs or obligations) will gain access to the SAP Autism At Work Resource Library which contain complimentary resources on creating a workplace environment that is accepting of people with autism, accelerating progress in the representation of people with autism in the workplace, and setting the tone for fostering an inclusive mindset across the entire organisation.
Interested organisations can register to “SAP Autism at Work: Accelerating Workforce Inclusion” webcast series through this link.
Note: This article has been updated to show the new date for the Session “How the SAP Autism Inclusion Pledge Inspires Organisations” (previously scheduled on 3 November 2020).
