Building Inclusive Workplaces: Key Terms for Understanding Neurodiversity and Accessibility
Creating an inclusive workplace starts with understanding the language that shapes conversations about neurodiversity, accessibility, and inclusion. Whether you’re an employer, colleague, or advocate, knowing these key terms can help foster a more supportive and accommodating work environment.
Neurotype: A neurotype is an individual brain’s unique style of processing information, learning, thinking, and feeling. Each person’s neurotype is unique, and it is this uniqueness that contributes to the richness of human experience and knowledge.
Neurodiversity: Neurodiversity refers to the diversity of neurotypes across the human species. It is the idea that brains and minds work in various ways and that these differences are a natural and valuable part of human diversity. Just like we have different physical traits, such as eye colour or height, we also have different ways our brains work.
Neurodivergent: A term describing individuals whose neurological development and functioning differ from societal norms, including those with autism, ADHD, dyslexia, and other cognitive differences. It contrasts with neurotypical but does not imply dysfunction or disorder.
Neurotypical: Neurotypical refers to individuals whose neurological development and functioning aligns with societal norms.
Executive Functioning: A set of cognitive skills that help with managing tasks, time, emotions, and attention. It includes abilities like planning, organizing, impulse control, and flexible thinking.
Sensory Sensitivities: This refers to sensitivities to different kinds of sensory stimuli. Examples could be fluorescent lighting, loud sounds, or food texture. Sensory sensitivity means that an individual could have heighted or reduced sensitivity to stimuli, and is common in the neurodivergent community.
Stimming: Stimming is a repetitive action or an activity that an individual performs often as a calming or coping mechanism. Stimming sometimes occurs in response to sensory stimuli, but can also be a force of habit. Stimming is common in the neurodivergent community, and can range from actions like finger-flicking to head-banging.
Accommodations: These are adjustments or supports provided to individuals who require extra consideration in completing different kinds of tasks – accommodations can be provided in many different situations. Examples of different accommodations could be having extra time to complete certain tasks or projects, noise cancelling headphones in overstimulating settings, or alternative communication strategies.
Hyperfocus: Hyperfocus refers to an intense concentration on a specific task or idea. While it can enhance productivity, it may also lead to neglecting other responsibilities.
Cognitive Load: The total amount of mental effort required to process information and complete tasks. Excessive cognitive load can lead to stress, fatigue, and reduced performance.
Intersectionality: Intersectionality is the acknowledgement of the crossroads between different identities, and how they interact. It is a framework for understanding how different aspects of identity—such as race, gender, disability, and socioeconomic status—intersect and create unique experiences of privilege and oppression.
Universal Design: The practice of designing products, environments, and systems to be accessible and usable by people of all abilities without the need for adaptation. Examples include automatic doors, closed captions, or flexible learning methods.
Self-advocacy: The practice of advocating for oneself! It is the ability for an individual to understand their own needs and limitations, and to communicate them to the relevant party.
Burnout: Refers to the feeling of physical, mental, and emotional exhaustion often associated with overworking oneself in a variety of different ways. Anyone can experience burnout, but neurodivergent individuals are especially vulnerable. For example, neurodivergent individuals often experience burnout from masking.
Masking: The action of hiding behaviour that is considered socially unacceptable. Many neurodivergent individuals use masking techniques to hide behaviour that differs from societal norms. Examples of masking in neurodivergent individuals could be suppressing stimming behaviour, becoming more/less animated, or imitating different facial expressions.
Emotional Regulation: The ability to regulate emotions and feelings in a healthy way. Many neurodivergent individuals struggle with emotional regulation.
Disclosure: The act of revealing information about an individual’s disability or neurodivergence in a professional, academic, or even personal setting. Disclosure is the first step towards receiving accommodations, but comes with the risk of discrimination and/or stigma.
Ableism: Discrimination or prejudice against disabled individuals. Ableism can come in many different forms – like systemic barriers, stereotypes, or exclusion.
Psychological Safety: A work or social environment where individuals feel safe to express themselves, take risks, and make mistakes without fear of punishment or ridicule. It is essential for fostering inclusion, innovation, and well-being.
Building a truly inclusive workplace requires more than just understanding these terms—it’s about applying them in everyday interactions, policies, and practices. By embracing neurodiversity, fostering psychological safety, and advocating for accessibility, we can create environments where everyone feels valued, supported, and empowered to succeed.