Conference Matters 142

INTERVIEW

'It's important that HRM take neurodivergence into account for events and other business matters.'

lectures. I don’t really need one, but people have asked me why I don’t have one. Now I explain in advance why I have one: it’s for people who appreciate structure. Then it’s also important to really stick to the schedule. What’s also nice is that people can ask questions, preferably anonymously. Of course, not everyone likes it when you give them a microphone in a full house. They often find it a bit stressful to give their opinion. A good chairper son who provides structure is also important.” Have you ever had a time when it was perfect? “Maybe they had read something from me there or had experience with it, but I did receive a very detailed email about the day I would give a lecture. I was given the exact times for each part, who my contact person was, what I had to consider, and even where to send the invoice. That was during a lecture at MBO Amersfoort. That was very well organised. You know what’s also important? People from the organisation should be recognisable with special clothing and a good lanyard. There was a neurodiversity conference in England where you could choose from three lanyards: one that said you were attending but that you would prefer not to be spoken to, one with the invitation that you wanted to have a chat but that you needed to warm up, and the third was that you wanted to meet people. For example, you can place notes on standing tables with conversation starters, such as ‘What did you eat this morning?’ That’s a good icebreaker.” Maybe that’s a good idea for everyone… “Certainly, nothing I mentioned costs a lot, and you can do it for everyone.”

And clarity and structure on the day? “For sure, so that people know what to expect. For many neurodivergents, an outing on a boat is not a good idea because they can’t escape. People want to be able to leave when they’re overstimulated. Everyone may like boating, but it could cause a lot of unrest. And this also applies to food. Communicate clearly what type of sandwiches (halal, vegeta rian, etc.) there will be so that people can bring something from home if necessary. And be honest if you can’t accommodate people with gluten allergies.” 'The more information you provide in advance, the better' You also organise events. Do you take the target group into account? “My team has many people from the target group, and that’s why we pay attention to every thing. For example, we have an extensive map of the location. All event organisers are able to do this, of course: neurodivergents who think along to make events more inclusive. I once gave a lecture for a company that had a staff party the day before, and I asked them to make a video of it. There was a lot of noise, loud music and a ball pit. This was a good example of how something could have been more inclu sive. It’s important to involve the right people because they say things that I would never have thought of.” Can the person giving a lecture also cater to neurodivergents? “In my case, I started adding an agenda to my

no clue. Thankfully, I quickly came across a flag from the organisation.”

Are neurodivergents really not considered at events? “The problem is usually that there’s a single programme, a one-size-fits-all, and as an orga niser, you ignore the interests of many people. I always use the example of a mother who talked about a party at her son’s school, where there was a dance hall and a chess room. The norm is that dancing is always fun, but that’s not true for everyone. I also emphasise that neurodivergents are socially different, not anti-social.” “For example, always make sure that there’s an escape from a room and a ‘Zen room’ where people can sit quietly or catch up one on one. It’s important to have enough chairs and that the room has little echo. There should also be a clear program with a beginning and an end, and you should stick to the schedule.” So it shouldn’t be too chaotic? “The more information you provide in advance, the better. For example, think of directions with images, so when someone drives up, they know what it looks like. From an autistic’s perspective, a map of the location is also nice, so that you know immediately where the toilets are when you walk around. I recently received directions from the power company Essent, and they were quite precise: when you drive up, the approach route to the par king garage looks like this. That can really make a difference. You have to remember that you can already be very stressed from travelling.” As an event organiser, how can you accommodate your target group?

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