Latest news with #InternationalDayforPersonswithDisabilities
Scoop
22-05-2025
- General
- Scoop
Circability Celebrates Five Years Of Youth Circus Festival
Circability Trust - Latest News [Page 1] The organisation's skilled and passionate circus tutors will lead sessions teaching diabolo, juggling, aerial arts, hoops, silks and more, as well as functional juggling devices for people with disabilities to learn circus activities. More >> Circability goes online to spread the joy Thursday, 9 September 2021, 1:13 pm | Circability Trust Auckland's Circability has moved its social circus classes online by creating the Joy Market and spreading joy to families during this lockdown. Three months into her role as General Manager at Circability, Mel Powell wasn't sure how to run a ... More >> Run away to the Circus on Day for Persons with Disabilities Monday, 11 November 2019, 1:16 pm | Circability Trust Run away to the Circus on International Day for Persons with Disabilities at The Circability Trust Celebrate Together - Kanohi Kitea event More >> Circability Performance Lab Showcase 5th November Friday, 3 November 2017, 10:53 am | Circability Trust We'd love your feedback and support for a short showcase with our performance team this Sunday. More >> Circability Central Open Day 1st Dec Tuesday, 15 November 2016, 3:40 pm | Circability Trust Circability Central Open Day celebrates diversity at Victoria Park. We invite the community to come and see the 2016 Creative Space of the Year (awarded by Arts Access Aotearoa) in action. More >>
Forbes
02-04-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Unlocking The Neurodiversity Advantage In The Workplace
By creating environments that support neurodiversity, your organization will gain a universally more ... More dynamic, capable workforce. In today's complex, innovation-driven world, fostering diversity is a strategic imperative, a point that was driven home globally on Dec. 3 when United Nations observed International Day for Persons with Disabilities. While diversity discussions historically have focused on race, gender, and cultural background, many employers have started to focus on another previously marginalized group: the neurodiverse community, people whose brains are wired differently than neurotypical individuals. This diverse group includes those with autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), dyslexia, and a wide range of other differences. It's a topic I often discuss with my colleague Johanna Benesty, who claims that embracing neurodiverse teaming unlocks competitive advantage. She provides three strong arguments: 1) Because of the unique ways in which neurodivergent individuals see things and approach challenges, neurodiversity offers a reservoir of untapped talent potential in specific domains. 2) The unique brains of our neurodivergent colleagues create new opportunities for organizations to improve teaming, combining the strengths of neurodivergent and neurotypical thinkers into a team more powerful than one consisting of neurotypical-thinkers alone. In the same way that neurodiversity is often referred to as a 'hidden disability,' Benesty argues, for some individuals. it also can obfuscate superpowers – capabilities or attributes that allow an individual to perform far above average on a certain dimension. 3) By better understanding the neurodivergent among us, we better understand everyone with whom we work or interact. Underappreciated And Underutilized According to genetics specialists at the National Institutes of Health, 'an estimated 15-20% of the world's population exhibits some form of neurodivergence.' And, they all bring unique perspectives and strengths to their tasks. Yet, they are vastly underappreciated and underutilized in most workplaces. Recognizing and embracing such individuals not only supports inclusion, but offers organizations a powerful path to unlocking productivity, innovation, and resilience. As Robert D. Austin and Gary P. Pisano, professors at Ivey Business School and Harvard Business School, respectively, noted in Harvard Business Review a few years back, 'Many people with these disorders have higher-than-average abilities' and possess 'special skills in pattern recognition, memory, or mathematics.' Yet, it has been estimated that unemployment and under-employment among those with neurodiverse talents may be as high as 85% to 90%—due, in many cases, to the nature of the recruitment and hiring processes, which often involve networking and behavioral interviews. Adaptation Required, Results Worth the Effort Adapting workplaces to accommodate neurodiverse individuals can initially require managers and teams to adjust workflows and communication. These adaptations may temporarily impact productivity, but research by Pisano and others shows the long-term returns can be substantial. For example, JPMorgan Chase's Autism at Work program reported up to 48% higher productivity in specific roles filled by neurodivergent employees, demonstrating that neurodiversity can be a catalyst for high performance. And SAP's Autism at Work program, which began more than a decade ago, now includes more than 160 employees across 25 job types in 14 countries. It is credited with sparking productivity and innovation gains, as well as helping to foster a more empathetic, engaged workplace. Neurodiverse Strengths Neurodiverse individuals bring a range of unique abilities to the workplace, including: Intense Focus: Many individuals with autism or ADHD demonstrate remarkable concentration, often referred to as 'hyperfocus,' which enables them to deliver exceptional results, especially in complex tasks. Pattern Recognition: Autistic individuals, in particular, may excel in recognizing patterns in large data sets, making them especially valuable in analytical and technical roles. Sensory Awareness: Heightened sensory perception is extremely valuable in fields like design and quality control, where attention to detail is essential. Empathy and Emotional Insight: Contrary to stereotypes, neurodiverse individuals, especially those with ADHD, often display profound empathy, strengthening collaboration and team cohesion. Creative Problem-Solving and Adaptive Learning: Neurodiverse thinkers frequently approach challenges from non-linear perspectives, contributing fresh insights and adaptability to problem-solving. By focusing on such strengths, organizations can move beyond stereotypes, recognizing the untapped potential within neurodivergent employees. Adopt A Neurodiversity Agenda For organizations to harness neurodiverse talent effectively, thoughtful strategies are essential. Here are some suggestions, both big and small, that can help your organization help neurodivergent individuals thrive: Make neurodiversity a central part of your broader hiring and workforce program. Embrace universal design in the workplace by including closed seating and focus rooms, since open seating can be a sensory challenge for neurodiverse individuals, and by offering flexible spaces, noise-canceling options, or alternative lighting to reduce sensory overload and enhance comfort. These and other measures can lower barriers to access and normalize the learning and working needs of neurodiverse colleagues. Make reasonable accommodations accessible and user-friendly. Reasonable accommodations, or workplace adjustments that enable employees with disabilities to perform the essential functions of their jobs, are critical, enabling productivity and showing neurodiverse employees that they are heard and valued. Accommodations could include speech to text software, closed captioning on virtual meetings, ergonomic office tools, or strategically timed breaks in the workday. Train managers for inclusive leadership, equipping them with the tools necessary to understand neurodivergent strengths and potential. Awareness training can help leaders see neurodiversity as a source of competitive advantage rather than a challenge to be managed. Activate neurodiverse talents by aligning neurodiverse individuals' roles with their unique capabilities. Examples include assigning tasks requiring meticulous attention to detail or creative problem-solving and purposefully balancing neurodivergent and neurotypical team members to create symbiotic, high-performing teams with complementary skills. It's essential to remember that neurodiversity exists on a spectrum, meaning all of us exhibit unique cognitive traits to some degree. Embracing neurodiverse team members who may be further along this spectrum encourages managers and leaders to unlock the hidden potential within everyone. As my colleague Hillary Wool, co-founder of AccessAbility@BCG, told me: 'Thoughtful management of neurodiverse individuals is good management, period. It means considering how you can harness the potential of your employee and meet their needs—partnering with them to think creatively about what tools, accommodations, or working norms may help them deliver their best work and feel valued for their contributions.' Unlocking the neurodiversity advantage requires an intentional strategy and often additional effort, but the rewards—ranging from increased productivity and innovation to a richer, more inclusive workplace—are worth it. By focusing on individuals' strengths and creating environments that support neurodiversity, your organization will not only gain from the talents of neurodivergent employees, but from a universally more dynamic, capable workforce.
