The Intersection of Neurodiversity and Gender in the Workplace: Challenges and Opportunities

Neurodiversity is an expression of different cognitive learning modalities. Characteristics such as dyslexia, dyspraxia, autism and ADHD are classified as neurodiverse or neurodivergent. According to the definition, up to one-fifth of the population can be considered neurodiverse.

The specific requirements and needs of neurodiverse people differ significantly from those of neurotypical people. Companies, in particular, and society at the whole, benefit if the needs of neurodiverse people are understood and taken seriously, for example, by offering an appropriately sensitised, inclusive and diverse working environment. Studies show that companies generate competitive advantages when they design their personnel processes so that the untapped talents and strengths of neurodiverse people can be discovered and promoted. The workshop discussion with speakers from different contexts aims to raise awareness of neurodiversity in the workplace. It will highlight the current diversity in companies and society and discuss barriers and challenges that neurodiverse people face in the workplace. An intersectional perspective will be adopted throughout, considering the categories of gender and ethnicity.

This event is the prelude to further events at which we will delve deeper into the topic to shed light on this undoubtedly essential future topic from other specific aspects. We are looking forward to an exciting discourse with you.

Programme

05:30 Welcome
Prof. Dr. Claudia Lemke, HWR Berlin

05:40 Opening
Prof. Dr. Heike Wiesner, Academic Vice Director HTMI of HWR Berlin

05:50 Keynote: When Equality of Opportunity is an Opportunity for Quality (English)
Dr. Martin Bloomfield, Founder Dyslexia Bytes, NeuroConverse, York, UK; Lecturer HWR Berlin

06:30 Short Impulse Lectures:

• Case Study (German)
  SAP’s Autism at Work Program
  Stefanie Lawitzke, Program Lead Autism at Work Germany, SAP SE, Germany, and Niels Clormann, Student B.Sc. BusinessInformation Systems, HWR Berlin and SAP SE, Germany
   
• Association Outline (English)
  Valuing Strengths: The Advantages of EmployingAutistic People
  Etxane O. Scott, Project and Research Officer, International Association Autism Europe, Brussels, Belgium

07:00 Joint Panel Discussion & Closing Remarks

Chair: Prof. Dr. Claudia Lemke, HWR Berlin

Language advice: The event will be held in English.

Registration: Registration is requested.

¹ Austin, RD, Pisano, GP (2017) Neurodiversity as a Competitive Advantage, Harvard Business Review, May-June 2017, https://hbr.org/2017/05/neurodiversity-as-a-competitive-advantage