It is estimated that around one in seven people in the UK (over 15 per cent) are neurodivergent. Neurodivergence is an umbrella term used to describe alternative thinking styles such as dyslexia, developmental co-ordination disorder (dyspraxia), dyscalculia, autism, Tourette’s and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
Neurodivergent people may have a protected characteristic of disability under section 6 of the Equality Act 2010 where their condition or ‘the impairment has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on’ the person’s ‘ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities.’ However, many neurodivergent people do not think of their neurodivergences as disabilities or disorders. In the right context, these differences mean people can offer unique perspectives and powerful contributions to organisations.
