Why do we need to meet at 9am?

The employer partners Xceptional support to attract and retain neurodivergent people are committed to creating inclusive environments for all. However there is often a perception that providing reasonable adjustments for neurodivergent people is costly and time consuming. Through April we will share a number of insights that show reasonable adjustments for neurodivergent people can be...

What’s wrong with meeting in a cafe?

I love coffee. After  years living in Melbourne I have an appreciation for the sights and aroma of cafes and used to love nothing more than pretending I was a digital nomad and working from a cafe.  However, as we continue to navigate the pandemic and adjust to new work environments, I have come to...

Why Unstructured Meetings Are Challenging for Autistic People

I have both a confession and an apology to make. Every primary school report card I ever had included the same sentence: ‘Aron is frequently distracted and often distracts others’. I’m afraid this attribute has followed me into adulthood and is most visible in unstructured meetings. An unstructured meeting is a primary school classroom for...

Invisible diversity and belonging

As businesses continue to prioritise diversity and inclusion within their workplace, there has been a growing recognition of the importance of disclosure of personal characteristics, such as sexuality and disability, in fostering a sense of belonging among employees. While most available data suggests the vast majority of employees with disabilities do not disclose, Forbes, only...

Article 23 – Podcast with Rhonda Brighton-Hall

Aron Mercer explains that a one-size-fits-all approach is never the correct way to boost DEI initiatives and offers his insights on how organisations can provide relevant accessibility, gain literacy around inclusivity and create a platform of ‘disclosure without ridicule’ in workspaces. Listen to the podcast here: https://soundcloud.com/article-23/have-you-worked-with-someone-who-identifies-as-neurodivergent

A job interview can be a very poor predictor. Unless the role is being a regular guest on talk shows, the ability to give an effective interview is likely to have little or nothing to do with the ability to actually do the job on offer. Instead, the interview process effectively relies on hearsay from...

Who has not dreamed of spending a day being invisible? Being able to go where you please, do what you want and uncover any number of secrets that you would otherwise know nothing about? Of course, it is not that simple, as the protagonists in any of the many films on the theme quickly find...