Welcome to Kernow Directory. Organisations supporting adults across Cornwall are continuing to add their details. If you are an organisation, please visit one of our directories and click “Add a listing.”
Our information, advice and guidance pages are co-produced with people who have lived experience and will continue to grow.
There is a lot of information about moving into college and sixth form, or higher education (university).
Cornwall Council has some useful information on how to prepare for adulthood.
Cornwall Opportunities has a Post 16 Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Hub. This includes information about careers.
The National Autistic Society has information around education for all ages.
For advice on employment, finding work that suits your strengths and support needs, and more, see the National Autistic Society.
The National Careers Service also has some useful information about careers in general. Their information for people with disabilities is good too.
ACAS provides free, impartial advice about employment law and workplace relations to employers and employees. They have some good articles focusing on neurodiversity in the workplace.
You may not consider yourself to be disabled. However, autistic people meet the legal definition of disability in the Equality Act 2010, and are protected by law. This is still true even if you do not have a formal diagnosis. This law protects you against discrimination. It also gives you the right to ‘reasonable adjustments’, in all areas of employment.
Reasonable adjustments are agreed changes to stop or prevent you being put at a substantial disadvantage because you are autistic, (or otherwise disabled) compared to someone who is not.
For extensive information about what counts as a reasonable adjustment, and when you can ask for it, see the National Autistic Society.
The Access to Work scheme can help you if you are working, or about to start a new job. They can help you organise reasonable adjustments.
If you receive benefits, the amount you get may change, depending on the work you do. You can use the Government’s benefits calculator to check.