UK MPs Support Employment Fair for Dyslexia and Autism

UK Sheffield MPs are joining forces to back an employment fair for people with autism and other hidden disabilities. The event, on Friday, February 1, is the brainchild of Angela Smith, Labour MP for Penistone & Stocksbridge, and is being supported by Paul Blomfield, Labour MP for Sheffield Central, and Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, Liberal Democrat MP for Sheffield Hallam. The fair, part of the National Autistic Society’s Undiscovered Workforce campaign, is at the Adsetts Partnership building, Bridge Street in the city centre, from 1pm until 3.30pm. It is aimed at people with autism and other hidden conditions such as dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia, speech and language difficulties and ADHD. The idea is to help such people learn about employment opportunities in Sheffield and to raise awareness among employers of the benefits of having them in the workplace. Mrs Smith said: “I’m working with the NAS on this campaign because I think it’s important adults with autism have the same opportunities as everyone else. “People in my constituency tell me they experience difficulties in finding and staying in employment, often due to inadequate support and misunderstandings related to their condition. “In these challenging economic times, we cannot afford to let the skills and talents of people with autism go to waste.”