Hi 👋🏻 I’m neurodivergent in tech

But I wasn’t always so comfortable with that.

Actually, just a few years ago, I thought somehow being neurodivergent, having different views on love, and in general being a bit “wild” and “weird” meant I wasn’t going to be a professional — nor would I make it in a tech job. (I find this sort of laughable now, but in many ways I am still struggling with the closet skeletons.)

Actual footage of the skeletons leaving my closet, post eviction… it never ends. (Image description: cartoon skeletons running onto screen from the left to dive into an open hole in the ground on the right.) Via Giphy.

To continue the laugh track, I actually started thinking about inclusion — and the full spectrum of meaning in that phrase — when I used to binge-watch Great British Bake Off. In GBBO it was striking to see people similar and different from me cooperating and forming friendships regardless of age, gender, sexuality, and disability. Remember the baker with limited use of her hand? How about the numerous men with male partners? Everyone who was on the show for an extended period got along with one another. Friendships were formed! In my view, it was a reality show where the drama was in the activity itself, not in the interpersonal relationships of the cast.

In all seriousness, this show was the first time I can remember seeing differences in experience having no affect on the ability to perform, to form friendships, to win, or to lose. It felt… safe. If I wasn’t such a lousy baker living in the middle of the US, I would have loved to join Mary and Paul and especially Mel and Sue on GBBO. Instead, I found myself at IBM.

Somehow, ending up in a century company as a neurodivergent person felt a little like this photo. (Image credit: Mindy Hoover; cc-by-nc-nd)

About this point, you are probably asking why you should care about the experience of a single neurodivergent person at IBM. After all, IBM is a big company, neurodivergents are seemingly everywhere, and good for me, but I’m not anyone special.

You’re right.

My point, and why you should care, is that if it took me a Master’s degree, a manager taking a chance on me for an internship, and a lot of determination to get to where I am. So, for people like me, but who may not be as privileged in their ability to be noticed, take an internship, get an education, and remain tenacious, it begs the question: what unique voices are we losing?

In my view, we are losing a lot. We are focused a lot on accessibility — and for good reason. A lot of designed experiences are not initially accessible, and some remain inaccessible. But we need to be focused on inclusivity, as an accessible experience can be different, so long as it is “similar enough” and conveys the same information(see Section 508 for more information). we need to be showing everyone that they belong, whether they are users of our products or employees and colleagues. Don’t ask others to adapt their path, instead, make a path that everyone can use.

Ramps are useful no matter your capability, disability, or current encumbrance. Photo by Franzie Allen Miranda on Unsplash

What do you think? Can we be truly inclusive in digital spaces? In workplaces? What or who has inspired you to be yourself in the spaces you are most comfortable in? I love to learn more and be respectfully challenged in all things, so your comments are always welcome.