What Inclusion Isn't
Spoiler: It isn't a LinkedIn post which highlights a 'special' employee, nor is it anyone's guess
Inclusion is the hot topic of the 21st century. It seems everyone has an opinion on what needs to be done, how it needs to be done (differently), and especially what it exactly means. Does it mean quotas? Does it mean using the word on your website and job ads? Does it mean having a token representative of the month?
If you’ve answered NO to the previous three questions, you’re already ahead of the pack :)
The one thing you need to know:
Inclusion means everyone feels safe being their authentic self
Does this seems like a strange concept, not feeling safe at work? What does ‘safe’ even mean? You have fire drills and camera’s, that’s safety, no? Time to go a bit deeper, and show you what’s behind the curtain.
The kind of safety we’re talking about here is psychological safety. It’s often clearer to talk about the threats that people might experience at work, that make them feel excluded.
Super Troupers!
You can’t realize an inclusive workplace if you highlight people, like in the company newsletter or on LinkedIn *specifically* for their neurodiversity (or other minority trait). If you put the spotlight on someone’s disability, you’re de facto isolating them from the group, reducing them to the stereotypes the viewers have.
Instead of deficit-based spotlighting, use strength-based communication. Calling Alex ‘the ICT person with autism as a superpower’ hits differently than saying, ‘Alex is a master of server administration and also a lego master builder”
Deficit-based communication creates tension: it celebrates someone’s traits while also framing them as flaws. The other party might see it as neither, just as ‘who i am’.
In short: people won’t feel safe if you put them in a spotlight, call them deficient, and isolate them with a label.
Nihil de nobis sine nobis
I had the pleasure (ahem) of taking 6 years of Latin in highschool (thanks, dad) and I try my darnedest to make it useful. The phrase above means “Nothing about us without us” and is a very important inclusion principle.
Too often well-meaning efforts fall flat because they’re built for people, not with or by them. Committees make decisions about “inclusive practices” without ever talking to those they’re trying to include. That isn’t inclusion, it’s guesswork in diversity sauce.
Want to do better? Start by involving their voices from the beginning. Not as a checkbox or token gesture, but as equal partners. Ask questions and listen closely. Build something better, together, for the benefit of everyone.
Unnatural Habitat
A final barrier to safety is not just what we do, but where and how we do it.
Let’s start with the location. Long, unpredictable commutes. Buildings with access and parking challenges. It can all add up. For many neurodivergent folks, just getting to work can be draining before the day even begins. Hybrid work options help, but only if they’re truly accessible, not perks for the privileged few. The ideal office location solves more problems than it creates: think daycare nearby, varied lunch options, or even groceries on the way home.
Then there’s the way the space is organized. Open-plan chaos. Fluorescent lights, no privacy, constant chatter. Rules (if they exist) are vague: where can I sit, eat, take a breather, or just be without feeling watched? Sensory overwhelm becomes the norm. Some fixes aren’t hard: real access to noise-cancelling headphones, well-designed privacy rooms, and clear etiquette can make a huge difference for everyone.
A great idea I saw recently was the Busy Beaver: people can put a plush beaver token on their desk, to indicate they want some uninterrupted time. This was paired with clear communication to coworkers and visitors.
Yes, it’s tough to design for everyone. But the goal isn’t perfection: it’s possibility. A workplace where people feel considered. Safe. Heard.
And that’s the heart of inclusion: not the words on the wall, but the day-to-day reality: safety, dignity, a little breathing room. If you get that right, the rest starts to follow.