Statistically Screwed: The ND & Disabled Reality

Full Podcast available here.

Here's a statistic for you: Over 85% of autistic adults are unemployed or underemployed, and it's not because we can't work, but because the system that you've built is broken. And that's just the tip of the iceberg. Today we're diving into the numbers that get swept under the rug: unemployment, healthcare access, suicide, and performative DEI. Some of this might be hard to hear. But if you're in leadership or working in systems that affect others, you probably need to hear it more than anyone.

Unemployment & Underemployment

85% of autistic college graduates are unemployed or underemployed (Drexel Autism Institute). Disabled people overall are twice as likely to be unemployed (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2023). It's not because we're unemployable—it's because job descriptions are written for clones and interviews are social theater.

I've been in interview rooms that felt like interrogation chambers. One job had 17 people facing me in a giant lecture hall. For a middle management position. Another job required eight separate interviews. I turned that one down. Not because I couldn’t do the job, but because I could tell it wasn’t a safe environment.

We're called rude for being direct. We're told we're rigid when we ask for structure. At one job, I was called "overly organized"—and yet I was constantly fielding messages like “Where’s that file?” or “Can you resend the thing?”

A Harvard Business Review study found that neurodiverse teams are 30% more productive when well-managed. We spot inefficiencies. We create solutions. We innovate.

What Happens When You Ignore Us

I once suggested creating a grant program for autistic individuals. The response? “It’s not that they can’t do the work—it’s that they can’t anticipate what comes next.”

Meanwhile, I had followed advice from neurotypical peers to deal with a hostile workplace. I told them what would happen. I was right. And I still ended up unemployed. But sure—we’re the ones who can’t see ahead.

Neurodivergent workers are underestimated, overlooked, and boxed into worker bee roles. But studies show otherwise:

• JPMorgan Chase’s Autism at Work program saw ND employees outperform NT peers by 48% in speed and 92% in productivity—with nearly 0% turnover.

• EY found ND teams in data analytics had fewer errors and better outcomes.

• Accenture reported that companies actively hiring disabled folks outperformed peers by 28% in revenue and 30% in profit.

• Deloitte: inclusive companies are 6x more innovative, 2x more likely to exceed goals.

If you're still not hiring us—or bullying us out—you’re not just discriminatory. You’re bad at business.

DEI Failures

Only 4% of companies include disability in DEI initiatives (Accenture). Most DEI efforts center on race and gender—which matter, but disability and neurodivergence remain ignored.

DEI statements love saying “inclusive” while hiring based on palatability. Real inclusion isn’t just letting us in the room—it’s redesigning the room. If your DEI doesn’t include accessibility audits, ND training, or disabled leadership, it’s PR, not change.

Mental Health & Suicide

Autistic people without intellectual disabilities are 9x more likely to die by suicide (The Lancet Psychiatry).

Why?

• 72% experience concurrent mental health challenges like anxiety and depression.

• Late or missed diagnoses increase risk.

• Many face bullying, financial stress, exclusion, and strained relationships.

• Camouflaging is exhausting and linked to increased suicidality.

• Cognitive inflexibility makes it hard to see options in times of distress.

• Isolation. Lack of support. Dismissive care. It all compounds.

And the system’s response? “Well, they said they don’t have a plan…” So we move on. It’s not enough. It never was.

Healthcare Inequity

Autistic adults face shorter life expectancies—by up to 30 years. Over 50% of disabled people report discrimination in healthcare. ND women are misdiagnosed or dismissed at alarming rates.

Doctors don’t recognize autism if you make eye contact. They call sensory overload "anxiety." They assume that if you can speak, you can advocate. We’re called hypochondriacs while we die from missed diagnoses.

Chronic Conditions:

• 70% of autistic individuals report chronic GI issues (Harvard Health).

• EDS and hypermobility are underdiagnosed and often dismissed.

• Asthma, allergies, histamine intolerance? Higher in ND populations.

• Chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia? Same story.

• Poor interoception makes it harder to identify symptoms—and harder for doctors to believe us.

This Isn’t Hopeless

If these stats are shocking to you, they shouldn't be. For those of us living them, they're just Tuesday. We don’t need pity. We need participation.

We need better structures. Better listeners. Better questions. And louder voices—especially from within our own community.

If you're ND or disabled, speak up. Share your story. Come on the podcast. Send this to your HR team. Read it aloud at your next DEI meeting.

If you’re struggling with suicidal thoughts: You’re not alone. You matter. And I mean that. If you need to reach out, my email is in the description. I’m here.

Let’s just all do better. Every single one of us.

Thanks for being here. Love you. Bye.