According to official statistics there are around people 25,000 registered with autism. Some estimate however, that there are nearly 100,000 people living with autism in Hungary. This supposition is based on the 0.6–0.8% incidence rate.
Therefore this is a relatively big group in society that has every right to, and demands a full life. Part of this is self-realisation and working towards independence, which go beyond satisfying physiological needs. That is they need meaningful work and free-time activities, too. In Hungary there are autism specific institutions that provide a safe environment, development and employment opportunities for people living with autism. The biggest challenge in our country at the moment is the changes related to the social sector. Social capital is often not enough for maintaining an organization that provides services. Service providers related to autism and its social phenomena are in an especially challenging situation as they receive very little financial support, and are often forced to follow the model of business organizations in order to stay financially sustainable. Employment of a social kind or within an institution counts as quite a novel phenomenon in our country. A significant set of issues has been in relation with the widening of employment possibilities of people living with disabilities since the political changes of 1989. Employers, who typically have a manufactory- or workshop-like structure, need an advantage, a unique profile, with which they can survive in an open market situation.
The Miskolc Autistic Foundation is an accredited employer certified by the National Rehabilitation and Social Office since 2013. In the year 2018, 32 disabled and changed working ability persons work in this employment system. Target group members work part-time, one-shift workouts for trained laundry workers, park maintenance and cleaning jobs.
The professional tasks and the conditions of employment are performed by our colleagues in accordance with Government Decree 327/2012, with the supervision of the Government Office of the Budapest Capital and the Hungarian State Treasury.
The purpose of rehabilitation employment is to apply to the extent of the health impairment of persons with disabilities or persons with reduced working capacity, their employment in the nature of their work, and to provide value-creating work for them. Our mission is to contribute to the positive vision of the target group, to strengthen self-reliance and motivation, and to develop individual skills through the highest standards of preparation, training and development, by providing tailor-made practical working conditions.
The other type of employment program of the institution is the developmental employment, which aims at providing the development and employment service appropriate to the health status, age, physical and mental condition of the individual as defined in the care, development or rehabilitation plan, the preparation of the individual for self-employment or the open employment in the labor market. In 2018 we have a license to employ 17 people with disabilities or people with changed working abilities.