Disclosing my neurodivergence is a personal choice. It can make interactions smoother and help others understand better. It also makes it easier for me, especially with behavioral traits like interruptions and thinking out loud. People are more willing to accommodate physical disabilities than neurodivergences, which can lead to judgment and impatience. I have to advocate for myself and explain that it is part of my disability.
About one in 10 working women have a disability, whether it’s apparent or not. And how those women navigate the workplace is different from how the average neurotypical, fully able-bodied woman does, largely because of pervasive ableism. To learn more about that experience, we’re talking with Meredith Koch and Nicole Bettè. They’re engineers who both use wheelchairs and advocate for employees with disabilities.
In this episode, they reflect on their careers and times when they’ve felt supported—and when they haven’t, all with the hope that you’ll be able to better advocate for yourself and your colleagues. In their stories are also lessons for managers about how best to respond to team members’ requests for accommodations, and how to help accommodate employees who might not know what’s available or even what they need.
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