Summary
Neurodiversity Data at Work: A new guide for Australia Organisations
Amaze and Diversity Council Australia have partnered to provide organisations with a practical resource on measuring and reporting on workforce neurodiversity respectfully, safely and accurately.
A 2020 study estimated that between 15 and 20 per cent of the world’s population are . neurodivergent. Despite this, very few organisations collect workforce neurodiversity data.
There is no legislative requirement for organisations to publicly track or report on workforce neurodiversity in Australia. This means there is limited information on the representation of neurodivergent employees in organisations, their inclusion experiences, or on how their career trajectories compare with those of neurotypical employees.
Reflecting this lack of data, research shows that most organisations have been unable to leverage neuroinclusion in their workplace¹.
Neurodiversity data supports workplace neuroinclusion
Neurodiversity data is a powerful tool to support organisations in their neuroinclusion work. Collecting this enables organisations to understand the neurodiversity of their workforce, identify neuroinclusion pain points, and track the impact of their neuroinclusion initiatives.
How to use this guide to support neuroinclusion
Our practical guide outlines how organisations can capture diversity data related to neurodivergence. The data workplaces collect can be used to improve how organisations work by tracking neuroinclusion initiatives to:
- identify barriers to workplace progression and hiring
- create clearer expectations
- provide transparent progression
- allow for universal design and workplace adjustments
- support communication that reduces ambiguity and cognitive load.
When used with other data collected by organisations, these measures can be used to:
- explore experiences of neurodivergent employees alongside other diversity dimensions
- draw out specific insights related to workplace inclusion
- explore intersectional experiences at work.
Neuroinclusion in the workplace is about creating environments where people with different ways of thinking and processing information can succeed without requiring them to share information about their neurodivergence out of necessity. Collecting neurodiversity data in ways that allow employees to self-describe their identities and experiences of neurodivergence signals greater inclusion and generates more useful, nuanced insights compared to approaches limited to specific medical diagnostic categories alone.
