Dr. Jennifer Leigh was one of the three academics that were featured in a recent Nature interview on how academia can help creating a more inclusiveness for neurogdivergent people.
In this interview, Dr Leigh shared her experience of being diagnosed for ADHD and how it shapes her research. A large proportion of her work concerns marginalization in science and lived experiences of ableism in academia. She pointed out that there remain a lot of for both the popular culture and for academic perspectives to catch up. She also highlighted an institutional gap in offering sufficient support for academics, especially to those who were diagnosed later in life as an adult: ‘In academia, disability, chronic illness and neurodivergence are seen as things that, for the most part, affect students rather than staff. There is little support available — and, for many, the risks of disclosure tend to outweigh the benefits.’
Dr Leigh found emerging initiatives from funders to accommodate neurodivergence encouraging, but also waned that for there to be follow-through, collective efforts are needed.
Read the full article: How Science Can Do Better for Neurodivergent People