5: Neuroinclusion Through Informed Onboarding Practices at Work

Awareness is growing that neurodiversity may supply organizations with workplace benefits. This has led to advocates calling for more neuroinclusive workplaces to increase employee engagement, innovation, and productivity. Many organizations, however, struggle to include neurodivergent or disabled individuals in a meaningful way. In the United States unemployment rates amongst disabled individuals is almost twice that of their nondisabled counterparts (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2024a). Meanwhile, the number of job openings across the United States remains upwards of 8 million (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2024b). Organizations face a labor shortage, yet individuals with disabilities are not being included in the labor market. Modern society and organizations appear to be growing more accepting of people with unique differences, but all too often individuals still need to “fit” in a world that was not built for them. In the case of neurodivergent individuals, this often requires mental leaps and mind reading to anticipate the actions or expectations of others while also being aware of individuals who may exert their social status over them. The current labor shortage, increased awareness of neurodiversity, clear performance advantages, and growing risk of noncompliance in organizations are creating a fertile environment for designing more neuroinclusive workplaces. One way to ensure a more inclusive workplace is to provide reasonable workplace accommodations for individuals with physical and mental disabilities. A primary goal of this chapter is to provide organizations with practical accommodations that organizations may use to build a more inclusive workplace for disabled and neurodivergent employees.