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Creating a diversity climate in the workplace: A mixed methods study into knowledge of autism and attitudes toward hiring autistic people in the United Kingdom
Get PDFBACKGROUND:
Autistic individuals face challenges accessing employment, particularly as a result of limited knowledge and understanding of autism.
OBJECTIVE:
This mixed methods study aimed to measure levels of knowledge of autism and examine hiring attitudes in the workplace.
METHODS:To determine knowledge of autism, N = 101 professionals in the United Kingdom responded to a survey that included the Autism Stigma & Knowledge Questionnaire (ASK-Q). Open-ended and closed-ended questions were used to examine hiring attitudes and particularly perceived barriers or drivers to employment for autistic candidates. Nine respondents took part in further semi-structured interviews.
RESULTS:
Findings report adequate knowledge with a lack of stigma endorsement. Data also indicate a significant relationship between self-reported autism knowledge and the overall ASK-Q total. Autism knowledge was statistically significantly higher in participants who knew an autistic individual through work and where professionals or their companies had knowingly employed an autistic person. Qualitative data provide nuanced understanding about barriers and the possibilities for more inclusive autistic employment.
CONCLUSION:
A strong case was made for understanding the needs and strengths of individuals in order to generate a diversity climate in the workplace
Academisation, neoliberal technologies of governance and the rapid growth of multi-academy trusts (MATs) in England
Get PDFAcademisation of schooling in England is a significant development with consequences for the disavowal of the role of community and democracy in education at the local level and wider resonance for geo-policy jurisdictions where neoliberal education reforms play out. This study analyses the operation of power and control of Multi Academy Trust (MAT) boards and the apparent diminution of local oversight and accountability, the bedrock of an inclusive, democratic polity. The explanatory and conceptual contribution made to understandings of the phenomenon of MATs is seen in the problematising of academisation and MAT formation as a technology for the operation of power, foreclosing democratic community engagement with their local schools. This has implications for the vitality of a democratic polity. Yet, more optimistically, generative possibilities of a renaissance of schools’ relations with their communities and reinvigoration of the public realm are envisioned as restorative of local democratic engagement in school governance
Fairer Future for York: Report 1
Get PDFYork has a long and rich history. It boasts an impressive offering of culture, heritage, and hospitality as well as a high quality of life for many of its residents. However, its wealth, resources, and quality of life are not shared equally by all and if things continue as they are, this gap is only going to widen. Yet it’s not impossible to change course, set our collective sights on something better, a Fairer Future for York.
Originally conceived as a small-scale event to learn lessons from other local authorities as well as co-operative and alternative economy experts, the Fairer Future for York project snowballed into a somewhat bigger event with a much broader focus.
Through conversations with JRF’s Emerging Futures Team, local councillors and council officers, as well as external collaborators, it became clear that to really grasp what a fairer future might look like, a more holistic approach would be needed. On 31 January 2024, the first Fairer Future for York event brought together 24 co-operative development experts, strategic stakeholders, councillors, and grassroots community organisers from York and around the country.
3 key themes were set out to shape our thinking, planning, and discussion: Health and social care, Housing and land, Local economy and community wealth building.
Across these themes, a set of avenues for enquiry were also developed. We considered the role of co-operatives and other social enterprises in generating and retaining wealth, potential social investment models, options and opportunities for more community-owned and controlled assets.
We also explored how policy and practice needs to change to support community wealth building, ensuring a fairer future for York is also a fairer future for the planet and the environment. We questioned how we can safeguard and nurture a resilient community-led economy, one that is sufficiently robust to weather any storms to come
Agile 4 Secure Responsible AI: Framework to incorporate AI red teaming for secure responsible AI development
No full textA Retrospective Assessment of the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas Project andHousehold Members' Employment in Bonny Local Government Area,Rivers State
Get PDFThis 2012 study used a survey approach, applying random sampling method, to assess the contributions of Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) project to household income, in comparism to other donors . The study also focused on NLNG’s contributions to employment as well as gained insights into the contributions of other employers.With a The questionnaire used was verified and has a Cronbach Alpha internal consistency of 0.81. A total of 2,167 questionnaires were distributed to household heads, of which 1,980 (91.4%) were well-filled and analyzed. The findings indicate that income from petroleum companies, including NLNG and other petroleum resources developing companies,form a substantial proportion of household income, though there exists no significant variation in total household income (p˃0.05). Considerable funds were received from family members outside the study area. Interview responses revealed NLNG's major contribution lies in vocational training programs, in addition to joint initiatives with other industry players. Correspondence Analysis tables from 1993, 1995 and 1996, and graphs from 1995, 1996, 1997 and 1998 illustrated the direct and indirect employment impacts of individual sectors on employment provision in the study. NLNG was also shown to have made considerable efforts at provision of trainings, scholarships and agricultural inputs. The study discovered that high expectations may have been placed on petroleum companies for local development, while government contributions at local, state, and federal levels remain limited. Recommendations were provided to address the observed problems
The Place of Soil Microbiomes in Carbon-Storing Soil and Green Technology
No full textThe development of green technology and carbon sequestration are greatly aided by soil microbiomes, which also present viable means of mitigating the effects of climate change. This chapter begins with an introduction to the significance of soil microbiomes in environmental sustainability. It then delves into the diverse and complex nature of soil microbiomes, exploring their composition and functions. The chapter highlights the vital connection between soil microbiomes and carbon sequestration, explaining how these microorganisms contribute to reducing atmospheric carbon dioxide levels. It details the specific mechanisms by which soil microbiomes sequester carbon, including organic matter decomposition, stabilization of soil organic carbon, and symbiotic relationships with plant roots. Techniques for enhancing the capacity of soil microbiomes to sequester carbon are examined, emphasizing practices such as bioaugmentation, organic amendments, crop rotation, and reduced tillage. The integration of soil microbiomes with green technology is explored, showcasing innovations like biochar application, microbial inoculants, and precision agriculture. These techniques enhance soil health and carbon storage while promoting sustainable agricultural practices. Real-world examples of how improving soil microbiomes can result in notable gains in carbon sequestration and general ecosystem health are given through case studies and success stories. Despite the potential, challenges such as the variability of soil microbiomes, the need for tailored strategies, and the long-term sustainability of interventions are discussed. The final section of the chapter highlights the necessity of ongoing studies, interdisciplinary cooperation, and legislative backing in order to fully utilize soil microbiomes’ potential for carbon sequestration and green technologies. By leveraging these microorganisms, we can develop effective strategies for climate change mitigation and promote environmental sustainability
Veterinary ethics and companion animal euthanasia: What can we learn from Critical Disability Studies?
Get PDFWithin veterinary ethics and practice around companion animal end-of-life and euthanasia, the political and cultural dimensions of death and dying are rarely addressed. This reduces the ability to engage with questions like: what future potential goods (positive affective states, meaning) could an animal experience by continuing to live; what constitutes a life worth living; and how can we make this decision for another being? These are questions that have been subject to extensive dialogue within Critical Disability Studies. The aim of this paper is to provide an analysis of how core considerations from Critical Disability Studies could be useful in veterinary ethics when considering companion animal end of life and euthanasia. First, critiques of the dis/ability binary and associated hierarchies raise questions about how animal disability and illness are understood, and around challenging questions like psychological illness and behavioural euthanasia. Second, nuanced engagements with questions of a life worth living and Quality of Life emphasise the importance of individual animal experiences, personality, and the foregrounding of ‘what is important for the animal’. Third, dialogues around choice and agency critique the tendency to focus on owner choice, rather asking what opportunities there are to listen to the preferences of animals themselves. Finally, engaging with care and power highlights the ambivalent nature of caregiving, of euthanasia as a practice of care, and the power intrinsic to making End of Life decisions on behalf of another. Overall, perspectives from Critical Disability Studies allow us to engage with challenging questions of veterinary ethics and end-of-life care in companion animal practice with more nuance and complexit
Voice disorder detection using machine learning algorithms: An application in speech and language pathology
Get PDFThe healthcare industry is currently seeing a significant rise in the use of mobile devices. These devices not only provide ways for communication and sharing of multimedia information, such as clinical notes and medical records, but also offer new possibilities for people to detect, monitor, and manage their health from anywhere at any time. Digital health technologies have the potential to improve patient care by making it more efficient, effective, and cost-effective. Utilizing digital devices and technologies can have a positive impact on many health conditions. This research focuses on dysphonia, a change in the sound of the voice that affects around one-third of individuals at some point in their lives. Voice disorders are becoming more common, despite being often overlooked. Mobile healthcare systems can provide quick and efficient assistance for detecting voice disorders. To make these systems reliable and accurate, it is important to develop an algorithm that can classify intelligently healthy and pathological voices. To achieve this task, we utilized a combination of several datasets such as Saarbruecken voice dataset (SVD), the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary database (MEEI), and a few private datasets of various voices (healthy and pathological) Additionally, we applied multiple machine learning algorithms, including decision tree, random forest, and support vector machine, to evaluate and determine the most effective algorithm among them for the detection of voice disorders. The experimental analyses are performed in terms of sensitivity, accuracy, receiver operating characteristic area, specificity, F-score and recall. The results demonstrated that the support vector machine algorithm, depending on the features selected by using appropriate feature selection methods, proved to be the most accurate in detecting voice diseases
Unlocking the Secret Code of Writing Systems
No full textEver wondered why letters look the way they do? Dr Hana Jee at York St John University in the UK investigates intriguing connections between how languages sound and how they are written. Using a number of methodologies, she has conducted innovative research to quantify these relationships. Her work began with Korean Hangul, a writing system intentionally designed to be highly logical and systematic. Dr Jee has since expanded her research to include diverse scripts like Arabic, English, Hebrew and many others. Her findings suggest unexpected patterns across writing systems, opening several fascinating future research avenue