After a disagreement regarding a workplace accomodation, Autism Speaks is now facing a lawsuit by Simone Greggs. Simone, mother of a child with autism, was about to start her new position as event coordinator in the Washington D.C. office when the organization rescinded their offer after she requested a workplace accommodation.
Gregg’s son returns home from school early on Wednesdays; when Gregg requested to work from home on Wednesdays to accomodate her son’s schedule, Autism Speaks declined her request and rescinded her offer of employment shortly after.
Sources such as Disability Scoop and Care2MakeaDifference state that Gregg is not pursuing this issue for financial gains, but rather because of a concern about the organization’s claim to helping families who have a child with autism.
“They say one thing and they do another. You can’t say that you’re for helping families with children with autism and then you can’t give me an accommodation.”
Greggs has also filed a complaint with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
Mother’s of children with autism earn lower wages than mothers who have typically developing children according to a recent Pediatrics study. Have you ever had to make a job sacrifice due to your child’s schedule? Have you ever been passed over a promotion or job opportunity due to a child-related accommodation? We want to hear your thoughts.
Autism Speaks has rarely been under scrutiny by parents except in a NY Times front-page piece in 2007 that quickly flew past the public eye. As this suite unfolds, Autism Speaks’ response and further actions will speak volumes about their dedication to raising “public awareness about autism.”
I don’t see how this suit has any merit. The company made an offer and that offer was contingent upon working at the location. If she cannot do that, then they are well-within their legal right to rescind their offer to her. There is a separate issue of morality here, but I don’t see this progressing anywhere given EOE guidelines/laws. On the morality issue, are we certain that Autism Speaks doesn’t offer other services to mothers with autistic children? Maybe a daycare of some sort?
Yeah, unfortunately, I’m aiarfd the popular definition of “advocacy” falls under the same nebulous cloud as “awareness”. Whooo, making a difference! Autism Speaks is very tricksy in describing its “mission” — it uses very vague language about achieving goals and the like, not often coming out and saying that the goal — its only goal, in fact — is eradicating autistics. It sounds perfectly benign to folks who don’t delve that deeply into autism issues (which is the vast majority of the population, including many autistics and people who know autistics), and when folks who support AS on such a superficial level are challenged about it, the challenge just sounds like griping and nitpicking to them. I’ve probably already used this example, but I keep thinking of this teenager who was manning a booth at a movie theater, who asked me for a donation to whatever organization he was representing. Something about “help” and “handicapped” and “children”. What’s not to support, right? Who doesn’t want to “help handicapped children”? The thing is, this kid had no brochures, no materials whatsoever (except for a little folded-up card wrapped in plastic that you got *after* you gave the donation), and didn’t know a blessed thing about the organization himself. But when I declined to donate because I didn’t have any information, the kid was peeved at me. And I’m quite sure he was convinced that I didn’t give because I was just stingy, or didn’t care about “handicapped children”. Spending more time trying to convince him otherwise would’ve made me seem like a royal pain in the ass.It’s very hard to make folks understand. In their minds it’s quite simple — Cause is autism, money given to cause, money given to autism. What specifically about autism the money is funding is of little consequence. When you protest, they think, “We gave to your cause — now why won’t you go away?”Perhaps the problem lies in the “I Make a Difference, I Stand for Something, I Walk for Somethingorother” culture in general. There are so many “causes”, and so many means to feel like one is “doing” something without actually doing anything at all.