Who am I? After being diagnosed with ADHD at 26, I became frustrated at the lack of support and awareness of this condition in society and in workplaces. I am trying to build Flair, the first holistic health platform for people with ADHD. The mission is to empower people with ADHD to thrive. I have built a small community of women with ADHD, you can join via WhatsApp.
In this post, I share my views on the illusion of meritocracy at workplaces specifically through the lens of a neurodiverse colored woman.
Key summary points:
1. Workplaces and the illusion of meritocracy
2. Why the playing field is not “level” for neurodiverse people
3. Accommodations, what are they, and why are they needed
4. Bottlenecks to workplaces accommodating
Workplaces promote an illusion of meritocracy
From my personal experience, navigating work has been a journey of uncovering real truths… such as meritocracy does not exist. Perhaps it is my autism at play here, but from school to university, I had sincerely believed to a degree that some form of meritocracy did exist. Working hard did pay off. However, my neurodiversity added another layer of challenges at university and at work which made me realize that something was seriously wrong with the perception of meritocracy and consequently for social mobility.
I knew that race, accumulated wealth, social capital, and many other factors were subtly at play when it comes to the workforce. But I also didn’t realize there was outright discrimination for the disabled and neurodiverse people.
Navigating the workplace as a woman of color with ADHD, autism, and dyslexia has shown me that my talent, charisma, and intelligence were not going to get me far. I needed accommodations and empathy.
Neurodiverse people are inherently at a disadvantage in neurotypical workplaces
The playing field is never level. For neurodiversity, we have spent years accommodating to the structures and processes that have been designed by neurotypical people who did not…
