2024 September NDC Learning Hub - Disability and Neurodiversity Inclusion

According to the United Nations, disabilities include long-term physical, mental, intellectual, or sensory impairments that impact a person’s experiences in society. In 2023, only 22.5% of people with a disability were employed, and that is the highest percentage on record in the United States since 2008. Recent studies have also shown that 15-20% of the population is neurodiverse. Neurodiversity includes many conditions, including autism spectrum disorder (ASD), attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), down syndrome, intellectual disabilities, mental health conditions, sensory processing disorders, and many more. Studies found that diverse teams that include disabilities and neurodiversities are 30% more productive. However, disabled people are more likely to be unemployed, and neurodiverse people are more likely to be unemployed than people with any other disability. Furthermore, employed people with disabilities and neurodiversities can experience significant discrimination issues in the workplace. This workshop helps educate participants about disabilities and neurodiverse identities, how disability and neurodiversity intersect, and how to create an inclusive workplace climate that is welcoming of people with various abilities and disabilities. Participants will be able to: ● Understand Disabilities and Neurodiversities, how they overlap, and how important individual identity can be in determining proper terminology ● Explore the wide variety of identities that are part of the Disability community as well as those under the Neurodiversity umbrella ● Challenge typical expectations and assumptions that create barriers for disabled and neurodivergent employees ● Implement disability inclusion, accessibility, and neuro-inclusive best practices