Rachel Worsley, neurodivergent journalist and founder of Neurodiversity Media
A lot of businesses start their inclusion journeys by counting. How many “unusual” people do we have? However, 80% of disabilities are not visible, including many neurominorities. If you ask, many people will not disclose, for reasonable fear of direct discrimination and indirect, career-limiting assumptions being made. As a result, high levels of disclosure are actually a sign of a mature inclusion environment, where vulnerable people feel safe to talk about their differences and their personal circumstances. So in disability pride month how can we create the space for disabled colleagues to feel proud and speak freely about their experienced?
Step One: Personal Stories From Visible Colleagues
Rachel Worsley is a neurodivergent journalist and founder of Neurodiversity Media who has been writing and consulting on neuroinclusion and disability for many years. Worsley supports amplifying disclosure of leaders and colleagues where they feel safe to do so:
“Many businesses have neurodivergent individuals within them but they may be too scared to come out publicly or they have not disclosed their diagnosis to their managers. Many individuals may not realise they are neurodivergent themselves. This is where personal stories of neurodivergent individuals that thrive within workplaces are important. Visibility within businesses helps to demystify questions around neurodiversity, encourages people to come out publicly and for businesses to feel safe to have these discussions around neurodiversity.”
When leaders start to share their story it can have a powerful, normalizing effect. Disability is normal. Worldwide there are 1.2 billion disabled people. As our workforce ages, we are likely to see this increase as many disabilities are acquired in middle and older age groups, the average age for becoming disabled is 53. It could be liberating for your senior colleagues to talk about their disability and / or their neurodivergence, they might find it as cathartic to discuss as others find it to hear. Leaders "coming out" can also spearhead policy change and get things started.
Step Two: Disability Inclusion Policy Is Key
There’s no point encouraging people to talk transparently about their disability if you haven’t provided the right scaffolding in your policies. You need a mature and responsive system for handing accommodations and adjustments, and a mechanism for implementing common requirements as standard options. If you are good at this already, talk about it in industry forums and conferences. The more we can make talking about disability inclusion a normal topic in human resources and business management the better! Worsley has spoken to many such businesses and says:
“It's also important to realise that there are many businesses out there who have successfully created neurodiversity friendly businesses but have remained silent out of modesty or believing it's just good management practice. Spotlighting these businesses helps to normalise neurodiversity in the workplace and provide concrete examples that help all businesses.
That's why the Neurodiversity Media Resource Library is full of profiles from neurodivergent individuals and evidence-based resources on topics like autistic burnout to equip businesses with the tools and knowledge to help unleash neurodivergent potential in the workplace. Knowledge is power - and through the power of visibility and evidence-based information, businesses can feel confident about creating neurodiversity-friendly workplaces.”
Step Three: Ongoing Awareness Events And Training
Disclosure will improve when you have plenty of safety signals. Regular training for managers and HR on their legal obligations and how to access support processes will reduce adverse impact. As well as providing for needs, showcasing talents and the range of diversity in your disability community will let people know that they won’t lose out by being vulnerable. You might want to ensure Disability and Neurominorities are included in your Equity Diversity and Inclusion policies and procedures if not already. During disability pride month, there’s plenty of opportunity to devote your leadership meetings to understand the role disability is playing in your company or department. Join us in celebrating the contribution disabled people are already making to our workplaces, and consider how to facilitate your colleagues.
