My short answer to the question is: it’s both and more. Neuroinclusion must be a fundamental part of any diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) strategy, but it also needs to be deeply embedded in the way our People functions operate day to day. It’s a shared responsibility, and senior leaders need to lead from the front.
Innovation is not in short supply in health care. Across the NHS and social care, teams are bursting with ideas to improve outcomes, use data more wisely, and harness technology for better service delivery. But, as anyone who’s tried to put those ideas into practice knows, innovation isn’t just about ambition - it’s about implementation.
In a system as complex and high -stakes as health care, delivery is often where good ideas stall. Legacy systems, policy constraints, fragmented responsibilities and overstretched teams can make even a simple improvement feel impossible. That’s why one of the most powerful ways to turn promising innovations into real progress is by tackling delivery challenges from the very beginning.
We see this in the way job descriptions are written, how interviews are run, and how “professionalism” is judged. We see it in rigid communication expectations, office design, inflexible schedules, and the unspoken social rules of the workplace. The cost of this is significant. We lose talented, creative, analytical, and innovative neurodivergent people every day because they feel like they don’t fit, or because we haven’t bothered to adapt to how they work best.
If we continue designing for the default, we reinforce the idea that everyone must conform to a narrow way of thinking, interacting, and succeeding. That’s not inclusion, that’s assimilation.
Think about the experience of a Black woman with autism. Or a trans person with ADHD. Or someone with undiagnosed dyslexia who is also a carer and navigating economic hardship. These individuals aren’t just contending with one barrier, they’re navigating multiple, compounding forms of exclusion in systems not designed with them in mind.
The risk of being overlooked, misunderstood, or labelled as "difficult" increases exponentially. And it’s often these intersections where support systems fail entirely. That’s why any approach to neuroinclusion must also be grounded in a broader commitment to justice and equity, otherwise, we’re just putting surface-level fixes on deep-rooted problems.
Yes, DE&I professionals have a role to play in naming neurodiversity as part of the inclusion agenda. And yes, People teams should embed neuroinclusive practices into systems, policies, and employee journeys. But this is not a job to be delegated or siloed. Neuroinclusion must be a strategic leadership priority, with visible ownership at the very top.
When senior leaders demonstrate understanding, curiosity, and action, it sets the tone for the entire organisation. Without this commitment, progress stalls, and responsibility falls disproportionately on neurodivergent people themselves to advocate for change, often at great personal cost.
Despite all we know about the impact of sensory environments, stress triggers, and mental wellbeing on neurodivergent people, over half of the organisations surveyed hadn’t factored neurodiversity into one of the most fundamental areas of employee wellbeing and legal responsibility
These aren’t just HR questions. They’re culture questions. Strategy questions. Leadership questions.
And if you're wondering what’s at stake, the founder of Brighty People, Becca Brighty, who hosted the forum, shared a visual during the event featuring a lineup of some of the world’s most influential entrepreneurs, scientists, and innovators. People like Albert Einstein and Bill Gates who are or were neurodivergent. These are individuals whose ideas changed the world. Now imagine if their potential had been cut short due to a lack of opportunity, understanding, or enablement.
That’s what this is really about: untapped brilliance, unrealised ideas, and the quiet loss of potential happening in workplaces every day
At its core, neuroinclusion is about honouring the full range of human minds, not as problems to be fixed or accommodated, but as valuable contributors to collective success.
As I reflect on our conversation at the forum, I’m encouraged by the growing appetite for change but I’m also clear-eyed about the work ahead. We have the tools. We have the data. Now we need the will. From everyone.
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