発達障害雇用サミット in 米・ノースカロライナが初開催！！
2014年1月10日
Kaienを起こす前の2008年と2009年。米国で立ち上げに参画したのが、シカゴ郊外にある非営利団体Aspiritech（アスピリテック アスペルガーとテックを合わせた造語）。まだ律儀に僕をアドバイザーに入れてくれている（こちら）。アスペルガー症候群などの人を雇用してソフトウェアテストをしているNPOである。
そのAspiritechが、First Business Summit on Employing Adults with Autism 「第1回 大人の自閉症スペクトラム雇用 ビジネスサミット」に参加するという。開催場所は、TEACCHプログラムで有名なノースカロライナ州。今回は中小企業が発達障害の人の雇用に与える影響について話し合うらしい。（こちら）
なんと参加する企業が多くてびっくり！！ なぜKaienが呼ばれていないのだ！！という気がするので、2回めはぜひ参加させてもらいたいし、IN TOKYO を開催したいなと強く思って早速、米国に連絡してみました。ぜひ実現させたい。
参加企業は以下のとおり。全部で13社。
- Arthur
& Friends, based in Newton, NJ, which operates greenhouses that employ
disabled adults who grow and market hydroponic produce - Aspiritech,
headquartered in Chicago, which employs high-functioning adults with autism as
part of a workforce that conducts domestic software testing and provides other
quality assurance (QA) services - Autistic
Global Initiative in San Diego, whose members on the autism spectrum provide
professional and consulting services to a range of industries - AutonomyWorks,
also in Chicago, which leverages the unique talents and abilities of people
with autism to deliver technology services, such as website maintenance,
reporting and quality assurance, to companies of all sizes - Beneficial
Beans, a Phoenix-based café that trains adults with autism spectrum disorders
and provides employment opportunities - Inclusion
Films Workshop in Burbank, CA, which provides vocational training and an
entry-level knowledge of film and TV production to adults with developmental
disabilities - Lee
& Marie’s Cakery in Miami Beach, which works with
the University of Miami/Nova Southeastern University’s
Center for Autism and Related Disabilities to provide job training and
employment to adults across the autism spectrum - onPareil
Institute in Plano, TX, which provides training in technology services,
particularly app development, and employment to individuals with ASD - Poppin’
Joe’s Gourmet Kettle Korn based in Louisburg, KS, which was
started to create an opportunity for Joe Steffy, a young adult with Down
syndrome and autism spectrum disorder, to run his own business. Today, the
company employs several part-time workers and sells snacks at fairs, craft
shows, car shows and events throughout Kansas and Missouri - Rising
Tide Car Wash, in Parkland, FL, which created a system that breaks the car
washing process into 46 distinct steps so families affected by autism can
operate car washing businesses - Roses
for Autism in Guilford, CT, which employs adults with ASD who cut, sort, grade
and care for the roses grown on a large farm - Waggies
by Maggie & Friends, based in Wilmington, DE, which employs adults with
intellectual disabilities to bake, package and market all-natural dog treats - [words]
Bookstore in Maplewood, NJ, which operates as a training facility so adults
with autism can learn retail job skills and move on to larger companies
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