Ishreen and Roger dive into the real-life challenges of power and privilege when it comes to ableism. They're joined by the amazing Reena Anand, who's not just a solicitor and former ombudsman but also a parent with personal experience in the world of neurodiversity. Together, they unpack the hurdles and disparities faced by neurodivergent individuals in schools and jobs.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

1.  Privilege and power dynamics greatly affect neurodivergent individuals from diverse backgrounds, necessitating action for workplace equity.
2. Neurodiverse students of Black, Asian, and Chinese backgrounds in mainstream schools face insufficient support despite a higher prevalence of autism.
3. A psychologically safe workplace is vital for neurodivergent individuals and parents of neurodivergent children to openly discuss challenges.
4. Recognizing and addressing deep-seated ableist attitudes is crucial to removing barriers faced by neurodivergent individuals and their families.

BEST MOMENTS

1. "There was nowhere I could go that saw me as a global majority employee who is a parent of a neurodivergent child."

2. "You can create so much harm if you're encouraging your staff to be themselves but not providing a psychologically safe environment."

3. "Only 11% said that after they had disclosed their neurodivergence, they didn't experience any discriminational barriers."

4. "Relative privilege is fundamentally something that shows up in so many different contexts, where people's position and power shifts dynamically."

GUEST BIO

Reena, a solicitor and former ombudsman, specializes in the Equality Act and consumer vulnerability. Her journey began with her son's autism diagnosis, highlighting the lack of tailored support for global majority parents. She uses evidence-based research to tackle cultural biases affecting global majority individuals' access to autism support. Reena engages in discussions on policy impacts, collaborates with organizations, hosts the "Unpacking Autism" podcast, and serves as a co-production board member at Aubilities, a Trustee at the Race Equality Foundation, and a participant in an autism assessment digitization pilot at the Institute of Child Health. She fosters inclusivity as an Inclusion Governor and Chair of the Governing Body at her local primary school.

VALUABLE RESOURCES

Privilege Survey  https://intelligentlinking261447.typeform.com/to/SNkQvD0v

Website: https://belongingpioneers.com/privilege-research-and-podcast

Email:equitychampions@belongingpioneers.com

Useful links: https://linktr.ee/BelongingPioneers

ABOUT THE HOSTS

Ishreen Bradley, a Strategic Pioneer, excels in guiding Professional Leaders through complex challenges with clarity, confidence, and courage. She focuses on cultivating inclusive cultures and authentic leadership, offering senior leaders advice, consultancy, training, and coaching.

Kami Nuttall, a workplace culture expert with over 20 years of experience, delves into governance, risk management, and the human experience in organizations. Trained by the Anti-Discrimination Foundation and a qualified hypnotherapist, she's passionate about fostering psychologically safe, inclusive workplace cultures. Kami champions accountability, believing organizations should prioritize both employees and customers, creating environments grounded in inclusivity and trust.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/kaminuttall-cultureguru-cultureauditor/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ishreenbradley/