NDIM April Newsletter: Beyond Awareness, Towards Acceptance
Welcome to our March/April newsletter! We're 3 weeks post-Neurodiversity Celebration Week (17th-21st March) and half-way through Autism Acceptance Month.
Welcome to our March/April newsletter! You may have seen this pop-up a few days ago on LinkedIn, it may be too much to ask a team of neurodivergents to do things on a timeline and schedule, but alas here we are and still in time for a round up of industry news, events and topics relating to neurodiversity.
We're 3 weeks post-Neurodiversity Celebration Week (17th-21st March) and half-way through Autism Acceptance Month. Our take? Largely positive and affirming. At NDIM, we used the moment in time to shine a light on each of the "S" in our 4S Manifesto (Systems, Spaces, Safety & Support) with our personal takes. Thank you for all those who engaged, reshared and continued the conversation.
A number of our industry champions took part in panels, discussions, company diversity initiatives and presentations on their own lived experiences alongside many other senior leaders who openly shared their experiences. The positive shift for us is seeing industry bodies, leaders and businesses holding space for these important conversations to take place with authenticity. Whilst celebration weeks provide a great space to use our voices and raise awareness, in our experience, the biggest impact is often felt by those silently looking on, relating and listening as they navigate their own journeys.
At the IAB Leadership Summit (Link to event highlights here) hosted in March, NDIM Champion & Head of International Advertising at Uber (and industry legend) Paul Wright 🌻 took to the stage to share his personal story with Dyslexia and how it has benefited his ability to tell stories and embrace creativity, alongside PHD Chief Strategy Officer Eva Grimmett who spoke about leading with ADHD, having been late diagnosed last year.
When it comes to managing someone who has ADHD, [Eva] urged delegates to “be focused on the outcomes and the work they produce, not on presenteeism or the process that they follow”.
While he was told that he was “thick” at school for not excelling at traditional academic learning, Paul believes that his dyslexia is “a positive, not a negative thing” helping him to excel when it comes to creativity and big picture thinking.
You can read more about both of their contributions on their LinkedIn posts (Paul & Eva). IAB also hosted a number of other speakers talking to other DEI matters including menopause, sexual harrassment and leading with inclusivity.
NDIM Champions Nimmi Shah & Pedro Ramos joined Lisa Bent and SEEN Connects to discuss their lived experiences navigating workplaces with ND conditions.
We explored some important topics: the misconception of neurodiversity as a "superpower," the consequences of late diagnosis, and the reality of autism, ADHD, and dyslexia in the workplace. Although neurodivergent people have special talents, there are drawbacks as well. For a business to be inclusive, simple adjustments like AI note-taking or noise-cancelling headphones, as well as, more significant ones like flexible scheduling are essential.
What's important for us at NDIM is ensuring this conversation doesn't end at one week of inspiration, and translates into positive momentum and support for the teams in your workplaces. We also work in the media and advertising industry - an industry that has the opportunity to have real influence and impact on people's perceptions of disability and inclusion. Whilst the political climate around DEI is turbulent (we've all seen the removal of DEI in financial statements and heard of diversity/inclusion businesses losing contracts), it's important more than ever to remain a consistent voice, champion and advocate for your people - with 15-20% of the population estimated to be neurodivergent.
We've also observed and taken stock at backlash in recent weeks and sensationalist "news" articles (in my opinion asking all the wrong questions (how absurd that diagnosis is on the rise vs, why was the benchmark so low, what are we learning about these challenges now with improved awareness and understanding?) and too based in opinion than fact). Personal feelings aside, the reality is these opinions and misconceptions are real and that can make it still feel unsafe to embrace your differences openly. The work to be done is ongoing.
So, what's inspiring us this month (Autism Acceptance Month!)? Well, as a group that's focused on the media industry - how often do you see a campaign that nails the inclusivity and diversity messaging? Not very many is the answer, so we're thrilled to have seen 2 campaigns in particular that launched in recent weeks.
NO DECISION WITHOUT US! DOWN SYNDROME AWARENESS CAMPAIGN
AUTISTICA - SEE US AS INDIVIDUALS, NOT STEREOTYPES
Changing the tone slightly- do you know what the sensory experiences an autistic person may encounter are? Can you make it to the end of this video by the Autism Society?
The reality of navigating autism for individuals, families, children, parents, late diagnosed adults can be challenging. As a group, our Manifesto and purpose is to raise awareness about workplace accommodations for neurodivergent individuals. The reality is, the number of autistic individuals in employment in the UK is estimated to be 3 in 10, highlighting a big gap in accessibility and the need for support/care.
You may be working with someone who is a carer or has caring responsibilities outside of work. The post linked below, by Mary Long-Dhonau OBE shows the importance of kindness and empathy for those who are navigating the highs and lows of being a parent to an autistic child can bring.
Best of the Rest
Have you heard of The Joshie Man and the impact he is having worldwide? Dan Harris FRSA , Founder of Neurodiversity in Business (NiB) - the Neurodiversity Charity and dad to The Joshie Man, is on a mission to bring Talkers to non-verbal autistic families to enable communication and independence for those on the autism spectrum! Their work is truly inspiring - read more from Dan here
Are you planning an industry/networking event? I (Jasmine Poke) live in that paradoxical world that where I really enjoy networking and building relationships in person, but can find events exhausting and overstimulating.
Alice Anson spoke to her experiences and recommendations for planning inclusive event opportunities.
Neurodiversity isn't a limitation—it's simply a different operating system. My ADHD brings creativity, hyperfocus, and unique problem-solving skills to the table. But creating environments where these strengths can shine requires thoughtful design.
To all of you reading, subscribing, sharing and engaging with us at NDIM - Neurodiversity in Media - THANK YOU! It's encouraging to see the support and advocacy for neurodiversity as we raise awareness, whilst maintaining an eyes-wide-open approach about the challenges/biases to overcome. Celebration and Awareness weeks give us the opportunity to bring forth so much valuable discussion, but as always, the other 51 weeks of the year are just as important! Until next month's newsletter!
P.S. Have you seen something that inspired you, gave you pause or that you think we should be talking about?
#neurodiversity #neuroinclusion #adhd #dyslexia #autism #autismacceptancemonth #audhd