Neurolien
Phase 2
Type of project: Prototype
Disability concerned: Autism and Pervasive Developmental Disorders, Neurodevelopmental disorders
Topics: Digital accessibility, Autonomy, Equality at work, Employment support
Status: Completed
The aim of the project is to develop a mobile app that will put neuroatypical people in direct contact with job offers. Neurolien will enable people with neurodivergences to promote their professional skills while indicating their specific characteristics. The app will initially be created for adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder.
This project was born out of two personal observations:
– job-seeking among our peers is problematic and often subject to discrimination,
– when people share their experiences, they often deplore the lack of consideration given to the skills of people with neuroatypia.
There are already many applications offering exchanges of services or work assignments (Indeed, Jobup, Yoojo, HelloWork, Side, LinkedIn, etc.), but at present, none of them take into account the specific characteristics of people with any kind of disability or are adapted to their way of working.
Existing apps are based on the attractiveness of the profile, implying potential multiple discrimination (appearance, writing quality, experience, etc.) and proposing a one-sided search. However, people with neurodevelopmental disorders find it difficult to promote themselves and enter the current job search system (Auticon, 2022).
Neurolien, with its reverse search system, stands out clearly from existing applications and will also be a job search facilitator for neuroatypical people in the future. This project will help to preserve their mental health by ensuring that their specific characteristics are respected. This is in line with the objectives of the Law on Equality for the Disabled, LHand (Federal Department of Home Affairs, 2023).
Support from this call for projects has enabled us to:
– define the specifications for the app
– study the transition from images to IT development
– start creating our website
– draw up a project presentation pack
The next major stages will be to study the barriers to use among the target group and potential employers, and to create the visual skeleton of the application in line with our visual identity. To do this, the team’s graphic designer will be working with the coordinator, who is also an occupational therapist. This will enable us to work directly on the accessibility and ergonomics of the application for the target group. At the same time, our team will be applying for further funding, depending on the foundations studied.
