I did some training, two days, for my volunteer job.  It was stuff like the corporate vision, anti-harassment etc.  I was actually doing training with employees as well as other volunteers.  

The anti-harassment training just really covered sexual harassment and nothing else.  I did talk to the person from HR who did it.  I told her that I didn't think that most of the job description were not inclusive to people with disabilities.  For example some jobs said they required "standing and walking" when someone with mobility issues could do the job just fine.  I also told her that I thought people's abilities were more important than their disability.  I even told her that I had autism and that I could do my job.  

The next day, she did another seminar.  This one was on customer service.  She mentioned something about having good eye contact and not looking all around when you were talking.  I think she was saying something bad about my autism.  

I do think sometimes I could use more eye contact but I find it difficult.  I am better at doing group tours because then eye contact is not an issue.  If I have to have a one-on-one conversation with someone I don't know, I can try to look at their mouth or somewhere else or we are both looking at something.  I do stop doing something and look at toward someone when they are talking to me.  

Is this discrimination?  Am I going to get fired from my volunteer job?

I am Miss Paranoia ... and I think that's what's happening here. She's right about eye contact with customers - if you don't give it to them, they think you're rude and/or don't care. You CAN do it and you CAN do it enough to satisfy your employer and your customers. She's worried you (understandably) but I think that in this case, you're safe and so is your job.

I'll add to this: in past jobs, I have had exactly the same kind of "training". Nowadays Customer Service is considered a "battle ground" (quote from my last but one employer), especially in the current economic climate. Every little thing is being analysed in the work place in order to make customers like companies more. I've experienced things like not being allowed to say "obviously" to a customer because "answers aren't obvious to customers", or "bear with me" because "it sounds too much to do with childbirth", and even not letting customers go away with a "no" because it's negative. So, if you say "Is there anything else I can help you with?", the customer's answer will usually be "no" ... so instead you ask them a question that invites a positive answer: "Is that everything you need?". The answer will be "yes", so they go away with a positive.

Hence, don't worry - she's doing what she's been told to do :>

I don't think it is ok to not hire someone who has autism just about the eye contact issue.  

It is like asking someone who is gay not to act gay around customers.  Are people with autism supposed to totally fake normal or get fired?  When is something a skill and when is it something that people with autism do?

You're verbalising why I don't tell people about my AS - people will automatically judge you for it.

We do have to balance our needs with those of employers though. There will always be jobs we can do, but employers also have the right to have the right people to work for them - and sometimes that won't be auties, sometimes it will.

You don't have to fake autism or NT to be good at your job. You just have to learn skills - and you CAN do that. You've learned a million skills since the day of your birth, you can learn a bit more eye contact :>>

< speechless at the sneaky manipulativeness of this strategy. o.o

Oh yeah, you wouldn't belieeeeeeeve the stuff they do deliberately ... that looks like it's conversation ...

At least they are training you.  

I asked the security guards doing the training with me what was the best way to give directions.   They were confused.  Then I had to explain -- I was asking because I didn't know and they might have a better way of doing it.  I suppose they just take it for granted that they know how to do these things.  They did give me a few helpful points after that.  

And I remind you that this is a volunteer position.  I have already told them that I didn't think that their volunteer job descriptions were very inclusive of people with disabilities.

Unfortunately eye contact is how people are often judged, and it sucks. A tip for the eye contact issue is a trendy pair of shades. Then no one can figure out the eye contact issue. Just look at the customers head (not the bustline!). If they say something, just say my eyes are sensitive to bright light.!! However, no one seems to object.

I explained to my best friend (NT) and his wife (NT) that frequently at the office clevage happens.   I said, "come on, that is not your face!"   I got his wife to howl.

What role is flirt power supposed to play in face to face business anyhow?  All fixed up, hair, rogue, eye liner, mascara, lipstick, nail polish, ear rings, a necklace, maybe a suit coat to go over the blouse, shoes that hurt to walk in?  Of course nobody says "date" but they might "discuss matters over lunch" and it mutually feels good.  Social grooming.  Or something more than just social.

I saw something interesting next to Love Bombing on Wikipedia.  Flirty Fishing.  It was more prevalent before HIV, but women could be missionaries giving the impression of being personally interested in a guy, and sometimes giving in if it hooked him.  Made me think of Dirty.

I only flirt because I am lonely.

Don't forget the hose or leg shaving, and if one looks better sans glasses, contact lenses.

I bet in a lot of places women get fired if they gain weight.  I knew our graphic designer, my close friend, and I know DTI and we are not guilty of that kind of thing.  It must be correlated with being an Aspie and gay and Muslim-Arab (remarkable in the post 9/11 culture) friendly company. But you can do a lot worse than us. I bet the women in the gym across the street are there partly to keep their jobs.

Well, discrimination is discrimination and that includes "weightism" and "ageism". The only time weight should really come into it is if a person is so obese that they could get stuck in a toilet cubicle or something like that. I think very few people would be able to work when they were that large so it would be mostly a moot point.

is it wrong that I found that mental image hilarious?

i hope not