Neurodiversity Week - Celebrating different minds

Published Tuesday, 15^th March, 2022 in University news

Monday 21 – Friday 25 March marks Neurodiversity Celebration Week across the UK. The week is a worldwide initiative that aims to transform how neurodivergent individuals are perceived and supported by recognising the many talents and advantages of being neurodivergent, while creating more inclusive and equitable cultures that celebrate differences and empower every individual.

Through the week, we will be celebrating the neurodiversity of our City community. You’ll have the chance to learn more about the lived experiences of fellow students, how we can be more accessible and the advice and support available at City. Check out some of what’s happening further down the page.

What is neurodiversity?

It is estimated that one in seven of the UK population is neurodiverse. You may be familiar with some types of neurodiversity, such as dyslexia, dyspraxia and ADHD, but neurodiversity is about much more than this. It is a recognition that not all brains think or feel in the same way – we all have different attention spans and experience different moods, and that is completely normal.

All too often, the world is only set up for the ‘neurotypical’ brain. This means that neurodiverse individuals can be overlooked, including in terms of their education and their career opportunities. The good news is that things are slowly beginning to change.

City’s Disability and Neurodiversity Manager, James Saward, said:

Many employers are now targeting neurodiverse individuals owing to the unique skill set they can bring to teams. The challenge for us is to design services in a way that supports individuals to access information in a way that suits them, at a time that suits them. This might mean thinking about how and when we provide information and thinking about the suitability of the environment in which we meet students.

What’s happening at City

The Neurodiversity and Disability team at City have prepared a week full of content and events to get involved with whether you’re neurodivergent or not. Be sure to regularly check back here as we update what’s happening throughout the week.

Events:

• Neurodiversity Networking – Tuesday 22 March, 10am – 12pm (Pavillion, University Building)

Come and have a chat with members of the Neurodiversity and Disability teams about the experience of being neuro-variant, how to hack your City studies, how employers need and want neurodiversity in their talent pool, accessing support and also whether you think you might have a learning difference. They’ll be running a range of activities with a model brain, a jar full of facts and stats and snap and the best part is you can win some of their merch!

• Guided mindfulness walk (approximately 2.3 miles) – Wednesday 23 March, 12:30pm – 2pm (starting and end at the Northampton Square Bandstand)

Proven to have particular benefit to people with SpLDs, but open to all, take some time for a relaxed, mindful journey with fellow students and staff in the surrounding area to campus through green, tranquil spaces and discover some hidden gems along the way.

If attending, you are encouraged to install the Go Jauntly app and create an account in advance to access the walking route as well as others, which staff will provide guidance on. Please also download the digital handout for the walk which provides information on mindful walks.

You can register your interest here.

• Free lunchtime film screening: The Reason I Jump – Thursday 24 March, 12pm (ELG04, Drysdale Building)

Enjoy a free film screening of The Reason I Jump, an immersive cinematic exploration that covers the experiences of nonspeaking autistic people from around the world. No booking is needed, just show up, bring your friends and enjoy!

Note: the film contains a sequence of flashing lights which might affect those who are susceptible to photosensitive epilepsy.