There are one billion people on the planet with disabilities. Beyond ensuring that its products have no inherent bias against people with disabilities, Microsoft is also on a mission to hire some of those people.

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Autism Spectrum Disorder includes a range of conditions characterized by challenges with social interactions, speech, repetitive behaviors, and non-verbal communication. Individuals with autism also have unique strengths and differences in specific areas where they may excel in a given discipline. Sadly, the skills these people possess, which could make them an asset to a company, are often overlooked. Their particular talents are sometimes not seen as valuable enough to offset the social awkwardness they may also present. This is a challenge companies that hope to incorporate a more diverse workforce must proactively work to overcome. The transforming of traditional interviewing models, which hold social skills in high regard, must occur so the unique abilities of people with autism can shine. Microsoft has taken the initiative to address this challenge by creating the Microsoft Autism Hiring Program. What is the Microsoft Autism Hiring Program?

The Microsoft Autism Hiring Program started in 2015 and "is a multiple-day hands-on academy that focuses on workability, team projects, and skills assessment." During the event, individuals showcase their abilities, meet hiring managers and teams, and learn about Microsoft. The program is unique in that it allows candidates with autism to circumvent the social skills barriers that would otherwise overshadow their talents. Microsoft has succeeded in hiring software, service, build and lab engineers as well as data analysts and scientists, through the program. Though there are many positions within Microsoft where a person with autism could thrive, the company has found most have found success in those areas. This year's Autism Hiring Cohort will be October 23 through October 27. Microsoft is serious about hiring people with autism and other disabilities. It's an integral part of its mission of inclusion from employment, product creation and accessibility. To that end, the company is hosting an Autism Hiring Cohort from October 23 through October 27 this year and January 22 through January 26 in 2018. Normalizing inclusion