Neurodiverse Talent!

~ connecting young adults with autism to successful careers

March 2022

In 2021, MEAF-grantees, Blue Star Recyclers and Aspiritech, collaborated for an event in Illinois featuring an electronics recycling drive and tech squad event with volunteers from

MEAF and Mitsubishi Electric Automation's VISION Committee.

Opportunities to Get Involved & Learn More

James Emmett & Co. helps businesses develop long-term strategies, systems, processes, tools and support that create a disability-inclusive workplace.

Community Partnership Development

Develop and implement successful disability inclusion strategies.

Customize Disability Solutions

Community recruitment and partnerships, screening, leadership training, needs assessment and capacity building.

Build Better Businesses

Improved returns on personnel investment, lower employee turnover, and access to tax incentives, while opening new markets with improved employee and customer satisfaction and brand loyalty.

Grow Your Business

We are genuinely interested in growing your business and learning about the culture of your organization.

Learn more here

Visit the website

Founded in 2017, the Neurodiversity @ Work Employer Roundtable with Disability:IN is a collection of employers committed to neurodiversity-focused hiring initiatives.

Our goal for businesses big and small is to welcome neurodivergent employees into your workplace, recognize and promote their strengths, and be aware of their unique needs.

The Roundtable is about building a community of employers that work together to create understanding, awareness and supportive systems that provide opportunities for neurodivergent employees to grow and achieve their full potential.

Aspiritech and Blue Star Recyclers are already members of the Roundtable.

Learn more here

Visit the website to join

Building a Pipeline of Capable Talent

Learn all about MEAF's national grantees empowering young adults with autism.

Aspiritech Nfp

Aspiritech Remote Employment Academy (AREA)

Highland Park, IL

2019-2022

Aspiritech is a social enterprise that employs people with autism in QA and IT Testing. Aspiritech successfully converted to employing their autistic workforce remotely during the pandemic. MEAF is supporting the development of their remote employment academy to formally recruit, train and employ talent nationwide.

"My Aspiritech remote training gave me the chance to show how capable I am of doing long distance work. I ran into some challenges the first two days, but as I acclimated and handled it. I was able to overcome obstacles and learn from my mistakes. I'm nearing the end of my first month with Aspiritech and I could not be any happier."

- Zach Wyman, QA Analyst

Aspiritech's AREA program trained its first cohort of remote training hiring 6 individuals, including Zach. Aspiritech will host an Open House and Ribbon Cutting for their new Illinois Headquarters on Apr. 24, 2022.

Aspiritech Headquarters

939 Chicago Avenue, Evanston IL 60202

11:30 AM - 1:30 PM

Sunday, April 24, 2022

Free Street Parking Available

Learn more about Aspiritech

Blue Star Recyclers

ADVANCE+ Impact Initiative

Buffalo Grove, IL

2018-2021

MEAF helped Colorado-based Blue Star Recyclers replicate its successful social enterprise model in Buffalo Grove, IL (near MEAU) to carry-out its mission to employ people with disAbilities, while ethically recycling electronics.

The Chicagoland facility serves as a demonstration site for the ADVANCE+ Impact Initiative, a training program to help members of Blue Star's industry association, e-Stewards, learn how to tap into this pipeline of capable, reliable talent.

Eleven companies have participated in the e-Stewards ADVANCE+ training with 36 hired to date (in addition to the 45 employed at Blue Star). Check out the Blue Star 2021 annual report. One of the factors to Blue Star's success is partnering with school districts to prepare and recruit neurodiverse students for jobs in the industry.

A panel presentation on ADVANCE+ was featured at the e-SCRAP and e-REUSE Conference, Nov. 8-10, 2021. An article about ADVANCE+ was featured in e-Scrap News. On Mar. 17, 2022, e-Stewards hosted a webinar to recruit new e-Cyclers into the disability employment training program.

Watch the Video or Visit Blue Star or the

e-Stewards ADVANCE+ websites to Learn More.

Els for Autism Foundation has been actively recruiting and placing youth with autism in cleaning, janitorial, food service, hospitality, and warehouse operations jobs to gain work experience by forming relationships with local businesses.

MEAF Board members and staff presented Ernie Els with a check at the Mitsubishi Electric Classic in May 2021. The Foundation will break ground on its new Stoops Family Foundation Adult Services Building on Apr. 3, 2022.

Download the Work Experience PDFs

Exceptional Minds recently moved into new training space and is offering hybrid instruction. Graduates were recently hired at CBS Sports, Diamond Games, and The Picture Production Company, with 94 employed to date.

Meet th e 2021 graduates

Nine Exceptional Minds students and grads recently won the inaugural Museum of the Moving Image "Marvels of Media - Collaborative Innovation Award" for their animated short “Mythlogic." The museum will feature the piece in their film festival and then on display through the month of April in honor of #AutismAcceptance Month!

MEAF staff and company volunteers from Mitsubishi Electric Automation, Inc. (MEAU) joined college and industry representatives in development of video scripts and supporting training materials. Filming has been completed with plans to launch "The Future of CNC" video in Apr. 2022.

Two new UAAs launched in 2021 at Rhodes State College in Ohio and at the Milwaukee Area Technical College. The MEAU/VISION Committee donated an M80 Simulator to assist with training UAA students.

Learn more about Uniquely Abled Academies