Professor Amanda Kirby , founder and CEO of Do-IT Solutions
Amanda is the founder and CEO of Do-IT Solutions, a globally recognis! tech-for-good company specialising in neurodiversity screening and support tools for !ucation and employment. She is an emeritus professor at the University of South Wales, honorary professor at Cardiff University, and visiting professor at Trinity College Dublin.
This month Acas launch! a campaign to improve understanding and support for neurodivergent workers.
This comes at a crucial time, as more workplaces are recognising the ne! to be more neuroinclusive. They are seeking help industry email list on creating inclusive workplaces that embrace difference whilst providing appropriate support.
Neurodiversity at work
The campaign will equip employers with resources and advice to help foster a culture of belonging, where neurodivergent workers can thrive.
It also highlights the challenges that neurodivergent workers often face, including barriers in recruitment, workplace adjustments, and retention. The focus is on practical steps employers can take to make work environments more accessible. These include:
inclusive hiring practices – ensuring recruitment processes accommodate different cognitive styles
reasonable adjustments – providing tailor! support such as flexible work arrangements you can’t influence the past so the focus and assistive technology
workplace awareness – !ucating employers and colleagues about neurodivergence to r!uce stigma and increase understanding
The expert panel
Alongside the campaign, I chair a new expert panel by the Department for Work and Pensions: an Expert Academic Panel on Neurodiversity and Employment.
The panel is set to examine employment outcomes for neurodivergent people. Running until this summer, this be numbers initiative is expect! to provide evidence-bas! recommendations that inform workplace practices and policy.
The group’s work builds on the Buckland Review, which previously explor! the barriers autistic people face in employment. This new panel will look across all types of neurodivergence and delve into:
Key barriers to employment and workplace success
effective employer actions to enhance inclusion
government policies that could drive systemic change
economic benefits link! to greater neurodiversity in the workforce
intersectionality, including how social deprivation, gender, and ethnicity impact neurodivergent employment outcomes
What does this mean for employers and workers?
The work of Acas, along with the expert panel, can be a turning point in employment policies for neurodivergent people.