Reel #5: Neuro-inclusion and the law

It’s hard to talk about the law and legal protections surrounding neurodiversity in a way that doesn’t sound like fearmongering. This series on Neurodiversity: Empowering Learning and Employment from FE News and Cognassist is a collaborative effort to counteract some of this fear.

We want to help organisations and their people to embrace neuro-inclusive practices, and yet we know organisations have gaps when it comes to neurodiversity within wider DE&I. Only 7% of global companies have a neurodiversity plan in place (Universum, 2020).

So we might need to scare a few people into action from time to time!

The truth is that employment tribunals around neurodiversity are increasing – 33% between 2020 and 2021.

The legal landscape provides context. However, real behaviour change comes from understanding how the law applies within organisations and who is responsible for what.

We’re now halfway through the series.

In Reel #5, Gavin O’Meara and Dr Louise Karwowski look at applying the legislation when it comes to neuro-inclusion, covering:

• Your duty under the Equality Act 2010 UK legislation
• Terminology and definitions
• The impact of not applying reasonable adjustments
• Training and governance

Pretending neurodiversity doesn’t exist in your organisation or pleading ignorance will not protect you. The duty to provide reasonable adjustments is an anticipatory duty, meaning you need to be ready to support diverse minds in your organisation.

A proactive neurodiversity strategy is required.

The conversation around neuro-inclusion and the law isn’t just about protecting organisations from legal damages. It’s about protecting people and ensuring that those of us who experience neurodifferences are not excluded from the workplace. The previous reel with Gavin and Louise talked about the benefits of neurodiverse talent.

If you want to retain this diverse talent, listen in to this week’s episode below to find out more about your responsibilities and the legal framework behind providing quality neuro-inclusive support at work.

Check out all our episodes so far here.

Watch Reel five here:

Or listen to it on the go here: