As people with disabilities struggle to find employment, some new ventures are focusing their businesses on the assets that come with having autism.

Aspiritech, a Chicago nonprofit, recently began a pilot program to train individuals with autism to be software testers. They already have one client — an iPhone application company — and they say that common traits of autism can be advantageous. For example, people with autism are often good at noticing inconsistencies and tend to enjoy monotonous tasks.

Meanwhile, Specialisterne, a data entry company in Denmark says 75 percent of its employees have autism. The reason, they say, is that the work the company provides is considered boring by many, but builds on the detail-oriented and repetitive nature of many with autism. Already, the company’s clients include LEGO and Microsoft.

The innovation could not come at a better time, as the recession is hitting people with disabilities who are looking for work especially hard. In November, unemployment among this demographic topped 14 percent.

Both ventures are new and it’s unclear if they will be successful long-term. But experts say, their ability to garner contracts with major companies already proves there is a market for redefining disabilities as differences, reports MSNBC.com. To read more click here.

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