Workplace culture and cognitive exclusion

At Direct Access, we provide accessibility expertise based on a foundation rooted in the direct experiences of disabled people, from members of our team who themselves are disabled, to citizens local to whichever site we have been asked to audit. Because of this, we pride ourselves on research and consultation, which allows our consultants access to firsthand accounts of different groups and, resultingly, a greater understanding of the barriers they face. By encouraging them to help us with their feedback, we can more easily help them to overcome different challenges and pain points, whether the subject plays a huge or minor part in their lives.

We do this because, although much of our team is disabled, it is not right for us to comment on how to fix a problem if we ourselves have never experienced it directly.

On today’s blog, we will be exploring the relationship between the world of work and exclusion, or more specifically cognitive exclusionism, based on the accounts of two members of our team (Courtney and Michael), who are neurodiverse and have experienced exclusion directly. The pair both conclude that there is a direct correlation between cognitive exclusion and the culture of workplaces.

Our first guest writer is Direct Access Marketing Executive Michael Miller, an autistic person, who says;

“There is, of course, an element of this that is rooted in human nature, where we actively seek out those who exhibit similar behaviors to us, but the problem is that we are not taught that someone not wanting to partake in small talk or respond to praise with a smile or to negative information with a frown is completely acceptable. I believe that the key to changing this is in educating people about neurodiverse experiences. When it comes to accessibility, we often focus on the physical and sensory environments, but we don’t always consider social environments and the psychological, emotional, or developmental damage that can be caused to a person if they aren’t able to relate to the world around them in a meaningful way.

Modifying expectations of non-disabled people for neurotypical people is an integral step to solving this issue. But since we can’t change how people immediately feel about social behaviors considered “unusual” by common standards, such as ticks and various physical exertions associated with autism, or the comparatively lower attention spans of people with ADHD, the solution, in my mind, is that we work to accept people who are neurodiverse within the work environments which we all depend on. This means business owners must be proactive in asking what their employees’ particular requirements are and allow them to engage in work in a way that best suits them. This will then have a significantly positive impact on how neurodiverse people relate to each other in social situations because neurotypical people will be seeing neurodiverse individuals succeeding in life.

There is a term used by people in autistic communities that is increasingly common to describe the act of trying to blend in with the crowd called “masking”, which as the name suggests, involves hiding or suppressing your intuitive behaviours for the supposed greater good of your colleagues. Forcing autistic people like myself to do this can be especially harmful to self-esteem and confidence and further pushes neurodiverse people, in general, to become less expressive. In my case, age and experience have taught me that these learned behaviors are not healthy for my mental health and well-being, and workplaces should encourage a balance between social etiquette and allowing their staff to express themselves.”

Another member of the Direct Access team, Courtney, offered a similar opinion on this concept, informed by her experiences with Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

“The concept of cognitive exclusionism and the workplace is a concept that is rarely discussed in neurotypical exchanges. In the workplace, you sign forms if you need accommodations, but these are rarely utilized for fear of looking incompetent to those in authority or colleagues.

While we have made progress, accommodations are often viewed as a crutch or ‘special treatment’ which then further isolates you from others. These accommodations are not making a job or workload easier, they help to accomplish the same tasks neurotypical people do in a way that works for your individual, neurodivergent needs.

In neurodiversity, social platforms consist of mostly neurodivergent people and those seeking to better support them (neurodivergent is a word used to explain the unique ways people’s brains work. While everyone’s brain develops similarly, no two brains function just alike. Being neurodivergent means having a brain that works differently from the average or “neurotypical” person, a term used most often to describe Autistic people or those with ADD/ADHD) the workforce is heavily discussed, and a consistent theme is a constant feeling of never being good enough, never fitting in and often not understanding the way information, tasks or deadlines are presented to them.

Dealing with this daily in the workplace (on top of already struggling in their personal lives) results in feeling defeated mentally, physically, and emotionally which has major, lasting effects on well-being. Even when a person communicates their needs and communication styles to superiors and colleagues, it is noted but unchanged, and often, a neurodiverse person is viewed differently.

I struggle with Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria (RSD) as a byproduct of ADHD. RSD is an extreme emotional sensitivity and pain triggered by the perception that a person has been rejected or criticized by important people in their life. It may also be triggered by a sense of falling short and failing to meet their own high standards or the expectations of others. When you have ADHD, your nervous system overreacts to things from the outside world. Any sense of rejection can set off your stress response and cause an emotional reaction that’s much more extreme than usual.

I struggle with deadlines. I work better sometimes at 3 a.m. than 2:30 p.m. I like to switch from sitting on stability balls to the floor then maybe a rolling chair. I need to move. I have great big ideas and I talk too much. I “overshare” which leads to judgment and embarrassment, and I have to force myself even as an adult to wait my turn in a conversation. So, I mask. I shine less bright, I dull myself.

Yes, of course, inclusion looks vastly different in different fields, careers, and workplaces but can we do more? Yes. As Michael mentioned, we have to stop expecting neurodivergent people to mask and adapt to neurotypical standards.

What is the solution? As Michael discussed, we need to stop setting the expectation that neurodivergent people need to adapt and blend into a typical workplace. This begins with learning how others work. Acceptance, understanding compassion, and collaboration. I’ll bring big, exciting, and innovative ideas, and my neurodivergent colleague can help us organize them and stick to the deadlines together. Neurodivergent people often use the term “body doubling”. Body doubling is a practice in which a person with ADHD works on and completes potentially frustrating tasks alongside another person. The body double’s job is to help anchor the person with ADHD to the present moment and task, reducing the risk of distraction. Collaboration, understanding, and teamwork in the workplace is the key to a cognitively inclusive workplace.

Is this some big futuristic concept? I thought so until I started working for Direct Access, a company that not only supports people with disabilities and brains that work differently, but disabilities are also our strengths. I am constantly validated and supported and realized how much PTSD I have from past jobs that I am unlearning now being in such a supportive and validating environment. A place where my brain is my friend and not my enemy.”