Many autistic people face challenges in securing and maintaining regular jobs due to inadequate workplace support. Conversely, voluntary work has been recognized to enhance the well-being of volunteers and may offer a more collaborative work environment with greater flexibility and adaptability. The environmental demands-resources framework provides a promising lens for analyzing what the context of voluntary work teaches us about how the built environment supports autistic individuals in flourishing at work. This study investigates the work experiences of two autistic volunteers and their allies, analyzing how they manage working conditions. To cater for the preferences of the autistic participants, the study employed a combination of methods including semi-structured interviews with these autistic participants and their coworkers/coordinators, photovoice, and participatory activities. The findings provide a nuanced understanding of (1) how autistic people and their allies mitigate environmental demands, (2) how they enhance environmental resources, and (3) how they engage in environmental crafting by resourcefully using, appropriating, and adapting artifacts and workspaces. Additionally, the study highlights the complexity and individuality of designing workspaces for autistic individuals, showing that spatial aspects can be both resources and demands depending on the individual’s needs and the time of day. This reinforces the importance of user-directed adaptation and environmental crafting in creating inclusive workplaces. The role of commuting and the support of allies are also crucial factors that should be integrated into the environmental demands-resources framework. Overall, these insights contribute to the environmental demands-resources framework and highlight considerations for designing more inclusive workplaces.

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Environmental Crafting at Work: Learning from Two Autistic Volunteers and Their Allies

  • P. Nguyen,
  • A. Jelić,
  • A. Heylighen

摘要

Many autistic people face challenges in securing and maintaining regular jobs due to inadequate workplace support. Conversely, voluntary work has been recognized to enhance the well-being of volunteers and may offer a more collaborative work environment with greater flexibility and adaptability. The environmental demands-resources framework provides a promising lens for analyzing what the context of voluntary work teaches us about how the built environment supports autistic individuals in flourishing at work. This study investigates the work experiences of two autistic volunteers and their allies, analyzing how they manage working conditions. To cater for the preferences of the autistic participants, the study employed a combination of methods including semi-structured interviews with these autistic participants and their coworkers/coordinators, photovoice, and participatory activities. The findings provide a nuanced understanding of (1) how autistic people and their allies mitigate environmental demands, (2) how they enhance environmental resources, and (3) how they engage in environmental crafting by resourcefully using, appropriating, and adapting artifacts and workspaces. Additionally, the study highlights the complexity and individuality of designing workspaces for autistic individuals, showing that spatial aspects can be both resources and demands depending on the individual’s needs and the time of day. This reinforces the importance of user-directed adaptation and environmental crafting in creating inclusive workplaces. The role of commuting and the support of allies are also crucial factors that should be integrated into the environmental demands-resources framework. Overall, these insights contribute to the environmental demands-resources framework and highlight considerations for designing more inclusive workplaces.