Neurodiversity and labor rights

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Neurodivergent people present distinct issues in labor rights . They may individually or as a demographic have occupational preferences or requests for accommodation which differ from neurotypical workers. While some neurodivergent people may need workplace support in a medical model of disability, other people may only want cultural understanding in a social model of disability.

Contents

Demographics

The earliest examined groups of neurodivergent workers were people with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and autistic people. [1] Later studied conditions include developmental coordination disorder and dyslexia. [1] After occupational researchers began to consider these conditions collectively, then it became easier to include other kinds of different neurological modes in workplace considerations. [1] One model for discussing all of these groups is to ask individuals how they identify and want to be known. [1] Another model is simply thinking of some people as "neurominorities", and not trying to get more detail so long as people have what they need to do their work effectively. [1]

A 2022 report estimated that 22% of workers are neurodivergent. [2]

Historically, neurodivergent people have experienced unemployment much more often than neurotypical people. [3]

Advantages

Neurodivergent people as a demographic may have advantages and skills which neurotypical people do not have. [4] A common advantage is difference of perspective; because the demographic has a different lived experience, individuals in that demographic can speak for themselves to share opinions which often differ from neurotypical people. [4]

It also can happen that certain individuals or groups of neurodivergent people develop uncommon skillsets which manifest when they get workplace accommodation. [4]

Accommodation

In the mid-2010s various large multinational corporations began developing policy on occupational neurodiversity. [5] Previously, organizations either did not discuss the issue, or if they addressed it, then it was a sort of disability accommodation. [5] The changing practice was to practice cultural understanding for neurodiversity as a social difference or personal identity. [5] In this framing, neuroatypical conditions could be recognized as another form of diversity comparable to gender, sexual orientation, or race. [5] Pilot programs began in advocacy for autistic workers, because there was already an identified labor pool of job candidates who were autistic and could work effectively with support. [5]

In the United States, workers become eligible for reasonable accommodation through the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 after they disclose to their employer that they have a particular medical condition. [5] Because neuroatypical conditions are often not understood or recognized, employers may not provide neurodiversity accommodations. [5]

In 2015 Ernst & Young established a program to recruit autistic workers. [6]

Common accommodations include providing single-person offices, giving workers control over the lighting of the room in which they work, and providing options for the employee to avoid being in a crowd or to take breaks alone in a quiet place. [2]

Related Research Articles

The disability rights movement is a global social movement that seeks to secure equal opportunities and equal rights for all people with disabilities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Controversies in autism</span> Controversies about both the cause of autism and the nature of the diagnoses themselves

Diagnoses of autism have become more frequent since the 1980s, which has led to various controversies about both the cause of autism and the nature of the diagnoses themselves. Whether autism has mainly a genetic or developmental cause, and the degree of coincidence between autism and intellectual disability, are all matters of current scientific controversy as well as inquiry. There is also more sociopolitical debate as to whether autism should be considered a disability on its own.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mental health law</span>

Mental health law includes a wide variety of legal topics and pertain to people with a diagnosis or possible diagnosis of a mental health condition, and to those involved in managing or treating such people. Laws that relate to mental health include:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Neurodiversity</span> Non-pathological explanation of variations in mental functions

Neurodiversity is a framework for understanding human brain function and mental illness. It argues that diversity in human cognition is normal and that some conditions classified as mental disorders are differences and disabilities that are not necessarily pathological. The framework grew out of the autism rights movement and builds on the social model of disability, arguing that disability partly arises from societal barriers, rather than attributing disability purely to inherent deficits. It instead situates human cognitive variation in the context of biodiversity and the politics of minority groups. Some neurodiversity advocates and researchers argue that the neurodiversity paradigm is the middle ground between strong medical model and strong social model.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Social model of disability</span> Societal failure to adapt to disabilities

The social model of disability identifies systemic barriers, derogatory attitudes, and social exclusion, which make it difficult or impossible for disabled people to attain their valued functionings. The social model of disability diverges from the dominant medical model of disability, which is a functional analysis of the body as a machine to be fixed in order to conform with normative values. While physical, sensory, intellectual, or psychological variations may result in individual functional differences, these do not necessarily have to lead to disability unless society fails to take account of and include people intentionally with respect to their individual needs. The origin of the approach can be traced to the 1960s, and the specific term emerged from the United Kingdom in the 1980s.

Labor rights or workers' rights are both legal rights and human rights relating to labor relations between workers and employers. These rights are codified in national and international labor and employment law. In general, these rights influence working conditions in the relations of employment. One of the most prominent is the right to freedom of association, otherwise known as the right to organize. Workers organized in trade unions exercise the right to collective bargaining to improve working conditions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Autism rights movement</span> Disability rights movement for autistic people

The autism rights movement, also known as the autistic acceptance movement, is a social movement allied with disability rights that emphasizes a neurodiversity paradigm, viewing autism as a disability with variations in the human brain rather than as a disease to be cured. The movement advocates for several goals, including greater acceptance of autistic traits and behaviors; reforms of services - i.e. services that focus on improving quality of life and well-being instead of suppression and masking of autistic traits that are adaptive or not harmful or imitations of social behaviors of neurotypical (non-autistic) peers ; the creation of social networks and events that allow autistic people to socialize on their own terms; and the recognition of the autistic community as a minority group.

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to autism:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Masking (personality)</span> Social process

In psychology and sociology, masking is the process in which an individual camouflages their natural personality or behavior to conform to social pressures, abuse, or harassment. Masking can be strongly influenced by environmental factors such as authoritative parents, rejection, and emotional, physical, or sexual abuse. Masking can be a behavior individuals adopt subconsciously as coping mechanisms or a trauma response, or it can be a conscious behavior an individual adopts to fit in within perceived societal norms. Masking is interconnected with maintaining performative behavior within social structures and cultures.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Societal and cultural aspects of autism</span>

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Occupational health psychology (OHP) is an interdisciplinary area of psychology that is concerned with the health and safety of workers. OHP addresses a number of major topic areas including the impact of occupational stressors on physical and mental health, the impact of involuntary unemployment on physical and mental health, work-family balance, workplace violence and other forms of mistreatment, psychosocial workplace factors that affect accident risk and safety, and interventions designed to improve and/or protect worker health. Although OHP emerged from two distinct disciplines within applied psychology, namely, health psychology and industrial and organizational psychology, for a long time the psychology establishment, including leaders of industrial/organizational psychology, rarely dealt with occupational stress and employee health, creating a need for the emergence of OHP. OHP has also been informed by other disciplines, including occupational medicine, sociology, industrial engineering, and economics, as well as preventive medicine and public health. OHP is thus concerned with the relationship of psychosocial workplace factors to the development, maintenance, and promotion of workers' health and that of their families. The World Health Organization and the International Labour Organization estimate that exposure to long working hours causes an estimated 745,000 workers to die from ischemic heart disease and stroke in 2016, mediated by occupational stress.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Job Accommodation Network</span>

The Job Accommodation Network (JAN) is a service provided by the United States Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP). JAN is one of several ODEP technical assistance centers. JAN facilitates the employment and retention of workers with disabilities by providing employers, employment providers, people with disabilities, their family members, and other interested parties with information on job accommodations, entrepreneurship, and related subjects. JAN's efforts are in support of the employment, including self-employment and small business ownership, of people with disabilities.

In workplaces, especially in Australia, a mental health day is where an employee takes sick leave, or where a student does not attend school for a day or longer, for reasons other than physical illness. Mental health days are believed to reduce absenteeism and presenteeism, which is a reduction in productivity or other negative consequences resulting from a pressure to work. Mental health days differ from absenteeism in that the purpose is to reset one's mental health rather than due to a nonspecific desire or feeling to skip work.

Ableism is discrimination and social prejudice against people with physical or mental disabilities. Ableism characterizes people as they are defined by their disabilities and it also classifies disabled people as people who are inferior to non-disabled people. On this basis, people are assigned or denied certain perceived abilities, skills, or character orientations.

Autism-friendly means being aware of social engagement and environmental factors affecting people on the autism spectrum, with modifications to communication methods and physical space to better suit individual's unique and special needs.

Discrimination against autistic people is the discrimination, persecution, and oppression that autistic people have been subjected to. Discrimination against autistic people is a form of ableism.

Autistic masking, also referred to as camouflaging or neurodivergent masking, is the conscious or subconscious suppression of autistic behaviors and compensation of difficulties in social interaction by autistic people with the goal of being perceived as neurotypical. Masking is a learned coping strategy that can be successful from the perspective of autistic people, but can also lead to adverse mental health outcomes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on people with disabilities</span>

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Neurodiversity Celebration Week is a worldwide initiative that challenges stereotypes and misconceptions about neurodevelopmental disorders and learning disabilities. NCW 2024 is taking place from Monday 18 March - Sunday 24 March. It aims to transform how neurodivergent individuals are perceived and supported by providing schools, universities, and organisations with the opportunity to recognise the many talents and advantages of being neurodivergent, while creating more inclusive and equitable cultures that celebrate differences and empower every individual.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Doyle, N (14 October 2020). "Neurodiversity at work: a biopsychosocial model and the impact on working adults". British Medical Bulletin. 135 (1): 108–125. doi:10.1093/bmb/ldaa021. PMC   7732033 . PMID   32996572.
  2. 1 2 Weber, Clara; Krieger, Beate; Häne, Eunji; Yarker, Joanna; McDowall, Almuth (29 September 2022). "Physical workplace adjustments to support neurodivergent workers: A systematic review". Applied Psychology. doi:10.1111/apps.12431. S2CID   252150386.
  3. ↑ Krzeminska, Anna; Austin, Robert D.; Bruyère, Susanne M.; Hedley, Darren (July 2019). "The advantages and challenges of neurodiversity employment in organizations". Journal of Management & Organization. 25 (4): 453–463. doi: 10.1017/jmo.2019.58 . S2CID   150483366.
  4. 1 2 3 Austin, Robert D.; Pisano, Gary P. (1 May 2017). "Neurodiversity as a Competitive Advantage". Harvard Business Review. ISSN   0017-8012.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Patton, Eric (2022). "Workplace Accommodation Considerations for a Neurodiverse Workforce". Neurodiversity in the workplace: interests, issues, and opportunities. New York London: Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group. ISBN   9781003023616.
  6. ↑ Ovaska-Few, Sarah (January 2018). "Promoting neurodiversity". Journal of Accountancy. New York. 225 (1): 46–49.
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