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NEURODIVERSITY
INACCOUNTANCY
AboutACCA
WeareACCA(theAssociationofCharteredCertifiedAccountants),
agloballyrecognisedprofessionalaccountancybodyproviding
qualificationsandadvancingstandardsinaccountancyworldwide.
Foundedin1904towidenaccesstotheaccountancyprofession,
we’velongchampionedinclusionandtodayproudlysupporta
diversecommunityofover252,500membersand526,000future
membersin180countries.
Ourforward-lookingqualifications,continuouslearningandinsights
arerespectedandvaluedbyemployersineverysector.Theyequip
individualswiththebusinessandfinanceexpertiseandethical
judgementtocreate,protectandreportthesustainablevalue
deliveredbyorganisationsandeconomies.
Guidedbyourpurposeandvalues,ourvisionistodevelop
theaccountancyprofessiontheworldneeds.Partneringwith
policymakers,standardsetters,thedonorcommunity,educators
andotheraccountancybodies,we’restrengtheningandbuildinga
professionthatdrivesasustainablefutureforall.
Findoutmoreat
Copyright©July2023bytheAssociationofCharteredCertifiedAccountants(ACCA).
Allrightsreserved.UsedwithpermissionofACCA.Contactinsights@for
permissiontoreproduce,storeortransmit,ortomakeothersimilarusesofthisdocument.
2
Acknowledgements
ACCAwouldliketoextenditssinceregratitudetothefollowingindividuals
whosokindlyofferedtosharetheirownpersonalstoriesofneurodiversity
intheworkplace.Withouttheirhonestyandcourage,theproductionofthis
reportwouldnothavebeenpossible.
KateRodde,BusinessLeaderandEntrepreneur
RobBrougham,CEO,BraidedCommunications
LydiaStott,DiversityandInclusionAdvisor,CooperParry
NicChambers,ManagingDirector,MichaelPageMalaysia
HirenShukla,EYGlobalandAmericasNeuro-DiverseCenterofExcellenceLeader
AndrewChong,Co-founderandInvestoruPledge
RobBrougham,CEO,BraidedCommunications
LydiaStott,DiversityandInclusionAdvisor,CooperParry
NicChambers,ManagingDirector,MichaelPageMalaysia
HirenShukla,EYGlobalandAmericasNeuro-DiverseCenterofExcellenceLeader
AndrewChong,Co-founderandInvestoruPledge
LydiaStott,DiversityandInclusionAdvisor,CooperParry
NicChambers,ManagingDirector,MichaelPageMalaysia
HirenShukla,EYGlobalandAmericasNeuro-DiverseCenterofExcellenceLeader
AndrewChong,Co-founderandInvestoruPledge
NikkiReed,FinancialController,TheRitzLondon
Authors:
JamieLyonFCCA,
GlobalHeadofSkills,SectorsandTechnology,
PolicyandInsights,ACCA
JamieisbasedinLondonandleadsateamofpolicyandinsightexpertswhoarededicatedto
exploringthemostsignificantchallengesimpactingthebusinessworldandglobaleconomy.
Asidefromhisleadershipresponsibilities,Jamieparticularlyspecialisesinthefutureofwork,
humancapital,andtalentmanagementissuesimpactingtheworkplacetoday.Healsoservesas
atechnicalandpolicyadviserattheInternationalFederationofAccountantsinNewYork,USA.
HeinitiallyqualifiedasanaccountantwithRoyal&SunAllianceInsuranceGroupPlcbefore
pursuingafinancecareeratMarksandSpencerPlcinLondon.
SusanBall,EmploymentTaxPartner,RSMUKTax
PaoloDavighiFCCA,FinanceChange,HMRevenueandCustoms
HajraBabariya,DirectorofEducationServices,BPP
KateCoulson,AssociateDeanforAssessment,BPP
TaniaMartin,
Neuro-inclusionConsultant,TrainerandSpeaker,
PegSquared
Taniaisanexperiencedneuro-inclusionconsultant,trainerandspeakerwithovertwodecades
ofcorporateexperience.AsakeymemberoftheteambehindtheawardwinningEYUKNeuro-
DiverseCentreofExcellence,sheledthedevelopmentofasupportiveecosystemandimplemented
neuro-inclusivepeopleprocesses.Withabackgroundinleadingcomplextransformation
programmesacrossbothpeopleandtechnologyinlargeglobalorganisations,Taniacombines
neurodiversityexpertisewithreal-worldcorporateexperiencetoapproachthechallengeofneuro-
inclusionintheworkplacedifferently.HerjourneyincludesnavigatingherowncareerwithADHD,
diagnosedin2022,providingadistinctivefirsthandperspectiveonneurodiversityatwork.
3
Introduction
Sinceitsfoundationin1904,ACCAhasheld
inclusionandaccesstoallasacorevalue.
Thisisn’tjustamoralimperative–thereis
continuedevidencethatdiverseandinclusive
workforcesbenefitbothbusinessandsociety.
Inthisreport,weexploretheissueofneurodiversity–a
markerofdiversitythatisfinallybecomingmorerecognised
ineducationsystemsacrosstheworld,andbyorganisations.
Fortheaccountancyandfinanceprofession,ensuring
neurodivergenttalentcanaccesstheprofessionandenjoy
rewardingcareersiskeytoitsfuturesuccess.
Here,wepresentseveralstoriesfromACCAmembersand
otherprofessionalaccountants.Theyillustratehowbeing
diagnosedasneurodivergentpresentsbothwork-based
challengesaswellasendowingindividualswithunique
capabilitiesthatthey’veusedforcareeradvantage.
Wealsoreflectonsomeofthepracticalstrategiesthat
organisationscanadopttobettersupportneurodivergent
employees.Thisnarrativeisattheheartofagoodnews
story,servingtoremindusofthestrengththatcomesfrom
fullyembracingneurodivergenttalentwithintheprofession.
4
NEURODIVERSITYINACCOUNTANCY|WHATISNEURODIVERSITY?
Whatisneurodiversity?
Neurodiversityisdefinedasanaturalvariationinhowthebrainprocessesinformation.Everyone
ofusthinksandbehavesdifferently;ourbrainsareasuniqueasourfingerprints,andourneural
pathwaysareconstantlyevolving.Foraproportionofthepopulation,nonetheless,thereisagreater
thanusualcognitivevariationinhowtheirbrainsprocessinformation.
Fromanevolutionaryperspective,thismakessense–
historically,earlyhumansneededthosewhocouldexploit
knowledgethatalreadyexists,andotherswhocouldexplore
newopportunities(Tayloretal,2022).Exampleswouldbe
thosewhowereexpertsincraftingtoolsversusthosewho
werecomfortablewithambiguity,takingrisksandmaking
decisions.Havingpeopleattheextremesofthinkingstyles
hasbenefittedourevolutionasaspecies–youcouldgoas
farassayingitwasfundamentaltooursurvival.
Overtime,however,asocietalexpectationthatpeople
shouldconformtocommonbehaviourswithintheworkplace
developed.Andthosewhodidnotconformtoexpected
behaviourshavehadtoeithertryandfitin(bymasking),or
oftenfaceadverseemploymentconsequences.IntheUK,
forexample,fewerthan30%ofindividualswithautismarein
anyformofpaidemployment(OfficeforNationalStatistics,
2022)–whilemanyotherneurodivergentindividualsin
employmentareafraidofsharingtheirdiagnosisforfearof
beingjudgedortreateddifferently.
Ourresearchisbasedonstoriesfromjustafewaccountancy
professionalswhoareneurodivergent,yetthrivinginthe
workingworld.Ithelpstodefinethereasonswhycognitive
variationmatters–andwhyembracingneurodiversityisnot
onlyamoralimperative,butmakesgoodbusinesssense.
Neurodivergentconditions
Thereareseveralneurodevelopmentalconditionsunderthe
neurodiversityumbrella.Themainneurotypesaredetailed
intablebelow(thereareotherstoo).It’simportanttonote
thatmostoftheneurotypeslistedarelifelongconditionswith
whichindividualsareborn–andthattheyhavenobearing
onaperson’sintelligence.
Thosewhoareneuro-differentareoftendescribedashaving
‘spikeyprofiles’.Thatis,theymayhavepeaksinstrengths
ordipsinotherareaswhencomparedtoaneurotypical
individualwhohasaflatter,moreconsistentprofile.Some
examplesofthosestrengthsandchallengesareincludedin
thetable,althoughthislistisnotexhaustive.
Neurodiversityhasformanyyearsbeenviewedthrough
amedicallensthatfocusesondeficitsanddisorders.The
narrativeischanging,however,andsocietiesarestartingto
recognisetheuniqueperspectivesandstrengthsofthose
whoareoutliersincognitivethinking–andwhattheybring
totheworkplace.
Eachneurodivergentindividualexperiencestheirstrengths
andchallengesasauniqueblend.There’sahighchancethat
individualshavemultipleneurotypes,whetherdiagnosedor
not–thereforestereotypesofassumedbehavioursrelated
toneurotypesareunhelpful.Additionally,challengespresent
onaspectrum–wheresomehavemoreseverechallenges
thanothers.
5
NEURODIVERSITYINACCOUNTANCY|WHATISNEURODIVERSITY?
Themostcommonneurotypes:
Attentiondeficienthyperactivitydisorder(ADHD)
High-leveldefinition:Neurodevelopmentalconditioncharacterisedbyinattention,hyperactivityandimpulsivity
Mayhavestrengthssuchas:Connectinginformation;analyticalskills;hyperfocus
Mayexperiencechallengeswith:Timemanagement;attentiontodetail;organisation;planning
Autism
Whydomanypeopleremainundiagnosed?
Manyneurodivergentindividualsgoundiagnosed,
oftenonlyrecognisingcognitivevariationslaterinlife.
Othersmaynotseekadiagnosisdespitestruggling,
whichmaybeowingto:
High-leveldefinition:Spectrumconditioncharacterisedbychallengeswithcommunication,socialinteractionand
repetitivebehaviours
Mayhavestrengthssuchas:Attentiontodetail;analyticalthinking;problemsolving
Mayexperiencechallengeswith:Sensoryprocessing;riskofmiscommunication;multi-tasking
Dyslexia
High-leveldefinition:Learningdifficultythataffectsreadingandspellingskills
Mayhavestrengthssuchas:Visualthinking;buildingrelationships;patternspotting
Mayexperiencechallengeswith:Soundprocessing;difficultiesgettingideasonpaper;readingandspelling
Dyspraxia
High-leveldefinition:Neurologicaldisorderthatimpactsmovementandcoordination
Mayhavestrengthssuchas:Big-picturethinking;empathy;verbalcommunication
Mayexperiencechallengeswith:Difficultylearningnewprocesses;finemotorskills;memory
Dyscalculia
nCulturedifferences–inhowneurodiversityis
perceivedbycertainsocietiesandgenerations.
nGender–femalesoftenpresentdifferently,andit
iscommonlyacceptedthatwomenmaybemore
likelyto‘mask’theirconditions.
nPrivilege–relatingtoaccesstothemedical
professiontobediagnosed,insomecountries
thereareextensivewaitinglists.
nEducationalbiases–ifaneurodivergentindividual
happenstoperformwellatschool,theremaybea
perceptionthatthereisnoproblemandchallenges
maygounnoticed.
Therefore,ifanindividualdecidestoself-identifyas
neurodivergent,itshouldberespected.
High-leveldefinition:Specificlearningdifficultywhenunderstandingnumbers
Mayhavestrengthssuchas:Creativity;strategicthinking;organisationalskills
Mayexperiencechallengeswith:Patternrecognition;sequencing;mathematicalability
Tourette’ssyndrome
High-leveldefinition:Neurologicalconditionthatresultsininvoluntarymusclemovementsandsounds
Mayhavestrengthssuchas:Creativity;empathy;energeticcharacter
Mayexperiencechallengeswith:Anxiety;sensoryneeds;tics(verbal&non-verbal)
Acquiredbraininjury
High-leveldefinition:Damagesustainedtothebrainthatmaybecausedbyinjury,illness,drugoralcoholabuse
Effectswillvarydependingonthepartofthebrainthathassustainedtheinjury
6
NEURODIVERSITYINACCOUNTANCY|NEURODIVERSITYANDLANGUAGE
Neurodiversity
andlanguage
Thelanguagesurroundingneurodiversitycan
beemotive,powerfulandattimesevenharmful.
It’simportanttobeguidedonthecorrectuse
oflanguage–ratherthanavoidhavingthe
conversationatall.
Keyterms
nNeurodiversity:Appliestoeveryone–everybrainhasa
naturalvariation.
nNeurodivergent/neuro-difference/neurominority:
Describesthosewithadefinedcognitivevariationinhow
thebrainlearnsandprocessesinformation.Theyinclude
‘neurotypes’suchasADHD,autism,dyslexia,dyspraxia
(DCD),dyscalculiaandTourette’ssyndrome.
nNeurotypical/neuromajority:Describesindividuals
whodisplay‘typical’cognitivethinking.Itappliestothe
majorityofpeople.
✓Whenapproachingthesubject,beguidedbythe
personyouareaddressing:howdotheywantyou
torefertotheirneurotype?
✓Whentalkingaboutanindividualwithadiagnosis–
alwaysuse‘personfirst’language,thatis‘aperson
withautism’,not‘anautisticperson’.Anindividualis
notdefinedbytheirdiagnosis.
✓Additionally,labelssuch‘highfunctioning’and‘low
functioning’or‘disorders’arenowoutdatedand
potentiallyharmfuloroffensive.
7
NEURODIVERSITYINACCOUNTANCY|WHYNEURODIVERSITYMATTERS
Whyneurodiversitymatters
It’sestimatedthatbetween15-20%ofthepopulationareneurodivergent.
Consequently,organisationshaveanethicalresponsibilitytoincludeandsupport
neurodivergentindividuals–creatingworkplaceenvironmentswhereeveryone’s
challengesaresupportedandstrengthsarecelebratedsothattheycanthrive.
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NEURODIVERSITYINACCOUNTANCY|WHYNEURODIVERSITYMATTERS
Overthelast10years,organisationshavestartedto
recognisethevaluethatneurodivergentindividualscan
bring–creatinghiringprogrammesthatactivelytarget
neurodivergenttalenttoundertakespecificroles.Asthe
focusonneurodiversityhasevolved,moreindividualswho
havebeenmaskingtheircognitivevariationhavestartedto
sharetheirdiagnosisandhiddenstruggleswithemployers.
Thebusinessbenefitsofembracingneurodiversity:
Diversethinking:Neurodiversitybringsuniqueviewpointsandproblem-solving
approaches–allowingemployeeswithdifferentcognitivestylestocontributefresh
ideasandinnovativesolutions.
Thefocushasstartedtoshifttore-educationonwhat
neurodiversityis,andhowtoprovidesupportforthese
individuals.Thenextstagewillseeorganisationsbeginto
considerdesignprinciplesforbusinessprocessesthatare
inclusiveforall–regardlessoftheirneurotype.
Organisationsthathavemadesignificantinvestmentinthis
areahaveseenanimpactonbrandrecognition,attracted
newbusiness,andgainedaccesstoanuntappedtalentpool
–bringinginnovation,creativityandproblem-solvingskills
withthem.Ultimately,aproactiveapproachtoneurodiversity
createsvalueforanorganisation,bothfinanciallyandsocially.
Increasedproductivity:Accommodatingneurodivergentindividualsenhances
overallproductivity–whenemployeesaresupported,theycanfocusontheirwork
moreeffectively.
Talentattraction:Organisationsfocusingonbuildingneuro-inclusiveworkplaces
attractscandidates–especiallyGenerationZ,whoaremoredrivenbythesocialimpact
anorganisationmakes.
Talentretention:Aneuro-inclusiveenvironmentfostersloyaltyandreducesturnover–
employeesappreciateworkplacesthatvaluetheirindividualneeds.
Whiletherearebenefitsfororganisationsthatproactively
seekneuro-inclusion,insomejurisdictionsthereisalsoa
legalobligationtosupportneurodivergentindividualsinthe
workplace.Forexample,theUKEqualityAct2010recognises
attentiondeficithyperactivitydisorder(ADHD),autism,dyslexia
anddyspraxiaasdisabilities–andthereforeprotected
characteristics.Thismeansanorganisationmustprovide
reasonableadjustmentstothosewhosharesuchaneurotype.
Overthelastdecade,we’veseenasignificantincreaseinthe
numberofemploymenttribunalsthatrelatetoneurodiversity,
whichisareflectionofthelackofsupportorganisationsare
perceivedtohaveprovided.
Enhancedcreativity:Neurodivergentindividualsoftenthink‘outsidethebox’–
theircreativitycanleadtobreakthroughsandnovelsolutions.
Positiveworkplaceculture:Inclusivepracticespromoteapositiveatmosphere
whereemployeesfeelrespectedandvalued–leadingtobettermorale.
9
NEURODIVERSITYINACCOUNTANCY|OURSTORIES
Ourstories
Ourresearchseekstoilluminatethestories
ofneurodivergentindividualswithinthe
accountancyprofession.Interviewswere
conductedwithawideselectionofparticipants
–ofdifferentage,gender,ethnicity,cultural
backgroundandneurotype.
Theresearchismotivatedtounderstandthechallenges
theseindividualsfaceatworkandineducation;theirrelevant
strengths;howorganisationshaveimplementedsupport
atboththeinstitutionalandindividuallevel;andthoughts
towardsthefutureofneurodiversityatwork.
Theirstoriesultimatelycelebratethinkingdifferently.
Wehopethatyouareasinspiredreadingthesestories,
aswewereinspeakingtotheindividualswhoparticipated.
10
NEURODIVERSITYINACCOUNTANCY|OURSTORIES
NavigatingADHDintheaccountancy
profession–poweredbytechnology
KateRodde
Katesharesherstory...butdifferently–using‘Braided’technology–technology
builtforastronautsnowbeingusedtohelpthosewhoareneurodivergent.
BRAIDED’SCOMMUNICATION
SOLUTIONALLOWSFORNATURALAND
SYNCHRONOUSCOMMUNICATION
ANDHASPOTENTIALAPPLICATION
BOTHINWORKPLACESAND
EDUCATIONALSETTINGS.
workplace–acopingstrategyoftenusedbythosewho
areneurodivergenttohidethechallengestheyarefacing–
whichhasconsequencesforKate.
‘Theimpactformeisthatmyworkingdaystendtobe
longasIstillwanttogeteverythingdoneandnothave
ithangoverme.’
KatehasuntilveryrecentlyworkedforBraidedCommunications
Ltd.KateisaqualifiedaccountantwhohasAttentionDeficit
HyperactivityDisorder(ADHD).Theinterviewwasconducted
viatheBraidedcommunicationtechnology(seeseparate
casestudy).Shereflectedonherexperienceofbeing
interviewedinthismanner,andemphasisedhowimportant
thetimetofocuswithoutanydistractionshelpedher
formulateheranswers.
‘ThroughusingtheBraidedtechnologyyoufeellikeyou
arebeingheardbecauseyou'rereallyputtingyourpointof
viewacross.Youalsofeellikeyou'renotbeingobserved...
AndI'mnotbeinginterrupted,distracted...Becausemy
wonderfulADHDbrainwillgodown20milliontracksin
anormalaudioconversation.’
Likeotherswehaveinterviewed,Kate’sADHDpresents
withbothgreatstrengthsandchallengesintheworkplace.
Herbiggestchallengesarekeepingtrackoftime,regulating
heremotions,oversharing,andfeelingoverwhelmed.To
counteractthesechallenges,sheadmitstomaskinginthe
Katealsohighlightsthatchallengesdonotpresent
consistently.Lifeeventscanhaveasignificantimpactonhow
herADHDimpactsherdaily.Anexamplesheprovidesis
duringperimenopausewhensymptomsthathadpreviously
notbeenanissuebecamechallenging,andshehadtofind
newwaystosupportherself.
Throughouthercareer,supportatworkhasoftenbeen
inconsistent.AttimesKatehashadsupportivelinemanagers
whounderstoodherandhowsheworked.However,ifthere
wasaleadershipchange,thiscouldbedifficultforKate–
especiallyiftheydidnottakethetimetounderstandthe
valueshebroughttotheorganisation.Thisrequirementto
createapsychologicallysafeenvironmentwheresomeone
canaskforhelpifneededis,inKate’sopinion,critically
important.Kate’sapproachwastoidentifysponsorsacross
thebusinesswhowouldchampionher,andwhoboth
understoodandvaluedher.
‘Itisnotdependentonmymanagertodetermine
myworklife.’
11
NEURODIVERSITYINACCOUNTANCY|OURSTORIES
Harnessingthestrengthsofthosewhoareneurodivergent
intheaccountancyprofessioncanbringdifferentskillsto
differentroles.Kateprovidedanexampleoftwovarying
approachestoworkthat,whenharnessedinthecorrectway,
hadsignificantvaluetotheorganisation.Sheremembers
workingwithafinancialaccountantwhohadbeendiagnosed
withautism:
‘InmanyrespectsIguesshepresentedwithanumber
oftraitsthatmaybeassociatedwithsomeautistic
individuals(thoughnotnecessarily)–veryfocusedon
thedetailaroundthefinancialaccountingsystem,not
verycomfortableinachangeenvironment,andIthinkhe
struggledwithinterpersonalrelationshipsatwork.Buthe
madeafantastictechnicalaccountant,andhisworkwas
alwayssuperaccurate.’
Incontrasttothis,Katedescribesherselfasabigpicture
person,isconfidenttalkingtoanyoneaboutwork,and
prefersplanning,understandingwhatmakesabusiness‘tick’,
andcansolveproblemsifgiventheautonomytodoso.Asa
result,shehadtheopportunitytobuildanewbusinessarea
andmanagenewteams–somethingshelovestodo.
‘Wearebothneurodivergent.Wearebothaccountants.
Wearefriends,andhavesharedinterestsoutsideofwork,
butwearesodifferent...andIthinkthatdifferenceis
reallyimportant–thereisnotaonesizefitsall,andthat
differencecanbringrealbenefitstoanorganisationin
termsofcapabilities.’
Whatdoesthefutureholdfortheneurodiversityandthe
accountancyprofession?Kateisoptimistic.Withprogress
beingmadeinunderstandingthebenefitsofdiversethinking,it
isclearthatneurodivergentprofessionalsbringimmensevalue
toteams.Researchsuggeststhatteamswithneurodivergent
individualscanbe30%moreproductivethanthose
withoutthem1.However,therealsuccesswillcomewhen
organisationsshifttheirfocustobecomingneuro-inclusive
andstartadaptingtheirprocessestoaccommodatediverse
thinkingasstandard.Withthisapproach,theneedforsupport
willdecrease,andtrueinclusionwillbecomethenorm.
NEURODIVERSETEAMS
RESULTINHIGHERPRODUCTIVITYAND
CREATIVITYATWORK.
1WorldEconomicForum
12
NEURODIVERSITYINACCOUNTANCY|OURSTORIES
SPOTLIGHTONBRAIDEDMEETINGS:
Technologydesignedforastronautsbut
appliedforinclusiveemployeecommunication
RobBrougham,CEO,BraidedCommunications
Robshareshisstoryaboutdeveloping‘Braided’technology–trialledbyNASA
andnowstartingtobeusedforinclusiveworkplaceengagements.
BRAIDINGISANEWCOLLABORATION
TOOLTHATISDESIGNEDTOHELP
CREATEINCLUSIVE&EFFICIENT
COLLABORATIONENVIRONMENTS
USINGWRITTENRATHERTHAN
SPOKENCOMMUNICATION.
Howdoesthetechnologywork?
Braidingisawrittenmethodofcommunicationandthebasic
ideabehindthetechnologyisthatitgiveseveryoneina
meetingtheopportunitytocontributetothediscussionequally.
Topicsoragendaitemsaredisplayedasseparatediscussion
panels,calledBraids,thatarepresentedtotheparticipants
sequentiallyonarotatingvirtualcarousel.Asthecarousel
rotatesthedebateoneachtopicbuilds.Attheendyouhave
afullwrittenrecordwithnoneedforanybodytotakeminutes.
Whymaythetechnologybeparticularlyhelpfulfor
somepeoplewithneurodivergentconditions?
Oneofthethingsweknowaboutgoodcommunicationin
meetingsisthatitonlyhappenswheneveryoneisco-present
witheveryoneelse–iewheretheconversationflowsandis
natural.Thatisquitedifferenttoco-location–youcouldbein
ameetingroomwithagroupofcolleaguesyetfeelyouare
notreallypartoftheconversation,perhapsabitisolated.Co-
presenceontheotherhand,requiressynchronywhichhas
averyspecificdefinition–itmeans‘tohaveasharedfocus
ofattentionandbehaviour,coordinatedbyasharedrhythm
andmaintainedovertime.’Soco-presencecannotoccurin
anenvironmentwhichisasynchronous.Braidingessentially
createsthatenvironmentwhichissynchronous,whereco-
presencecanexist.Inasimplerway,itlevelstheplayingfield
ofcommunication,givingeveryoneanequalvoice.
WheredidyougettheideaforBraiding?
Theideawasbornoutofchallengeswithspacecommunication.
Beyondwhatwecall‘LowEarthOrbit’,allcommunication
betweencrewandgroundisaffectedbytimedelay(whatwe
calllatency),causedbythegreatdistanceandthefinitespeed
oflightandradiowaves.Thedelayisunavoidable.Itappliesto
allcommunicationthroughoutallfuturedeepspace(lunarand
beyond)missions,butobviouslycommunicationtimedelays
createallsortsofproblems–evenimpactingcrewhealth
becauseofemotionalisolation.SpaceBraidingwasthefirsttool
designedtomitigatetheimpactoflatency.Itdoesnotremove
orreducelatency–thatwouldbreakthelawsofphysics–but
insteaditdisguiseslatencybecauseitcanmaketwopeople
separatedbymillionsofkilometresfeelasiftheyarehavinga
natural,synchronousdialogue.SpaceBraidingispatentedand
hasbeentestedinstudiesfundedbytheUKSpaceAgency,
theEuropeanSpaceAgency,andNASAincollaboration
withseveralacademicpartnersincludingUniversityCollege,
LondonandGeorgiaTech,USA.Allresultssofararepositive–
thepreliminarydataindicatesthatSpaceBraidingreallyworks.
Itjustsohappensithaspotentialapplicationselsewhereinthe
businessworldforefficientandinclusivecommunication.
13
NEURODIVERSITYINACCOUNTANCY|OURSTORIES
Lydia’sautismopensupnewunexpectedcareer
opportunitiesbeyondaccountancyasadayjob
LydiaStott
Lydia’shoneststoryendsonarealhighnote,withherautismdiagnosisleading
toarolethatisshapinghowherorganisation,CooperParry,supportsits
neurodivergentemployees.
LydiaisaDiversityandInclusionAdvisoratCooperParry,
aYoungAmbassadorfortheNationalAutisticSociety,
andaqualifiedworkplaceneedsassessor.Shereceived
anautismdiagnosisattheageof18,kickstartingherjourney
intoadvocacy.Inconversation,Lydia’spassionforneuro-
inclusionintheworkplaceisveryevident.
Herstoryisafamiliaroneformanyneurodivergent
people:herdiagnosiswasmissedduetostrongacademic
performanceinschoolandLydiainsteadinternalisedher
struggles.Asateen,shewasdiagnosedwithdepression
andanxiety.
INDIVIDUALSAREOFTEN
DIAGNOSEDWITHANXIETYAND
DEPRESSIONBEFOREANEUROTYPE
ISIDENTIFIED–IFIDENTIFIEDAT
ALL.THECO-MORBIDITYBETWEEN
ANXIETY,DEPRESSIONANDSOME
NEURODIVERGENTCONDITIONSIS
WELLESTABLISHED.
Likemanyindividualswhoareneurodivergent,Lydiafound
schoolchallenging.Despiteexcellingacademically,she
experiencedfrequentpanicattacksfromtheageofnine
andhermentalhealthissuescontinuedthroughouther
education.Whennumerousavenuesofsupportfailedto
makeadifferenceforLydia,shebegantoquestionherself.
Whywassheworseatcopingthanthosearoundher?
Hersearchforanswersledhertoanonlinecourseon
autisminwomenfromtheNationalAutisticSociety,andthis
wasLydia’slightbulbmoment.
‘Untilyouhavethelabel‘autism’,youwillcarrya
thousandotherlabels.Thesemightincludelazy,difficult,
incompetent,awkward,andoversensitive…Theworld
tellsyouthatthisiswhoyouareandyoubeginto
believeit.Receivingmydiagnosisgavemethepermissi
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