We are on the cusp of a
global awakening around
neurodivergence.
There have been seismic shifts in consciousness around how Autism, ADHD, OCD, Dyslexia, cPTSD, and other learning differences and neurodivergences are experienced, especially by BIPOC, gender expansive folx socialized as girls, and women.
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on remote working along with ready access to more first-person, lived-experience narratives have served as catalyst for this global awakening.
Now more than ever, people are exploring how their brain works and connecting with Neurodivergent identity–not because of some fad, but because we finally have language to describe what so many of us have been living for decades.
With this new language…
We are beginning to understand that no, we are not failed humans, but in fact, we are neuroUnique–a truth that invites a wealth of self love, acceptance, and appreciation!
We are able to be curious about the capacity of our brains, instead of self-berating because we didn’t fit into the very narrow and ridgid boxes of neurotypicality.
We are connecting with our NeuroKin, and experiencing, maybe for the first time ever, belonging.
This fresh insight about ourselves and how our brains and bodies work has also informed how we accommodate ourselves and what painful, distressing, and inaccessible circumstances we are no longer willing to tolerate.
For some, that means leaving high-level professional positions due to Autistic-ADHD burn out. For others that looks like turning to entrepreneurship in order to build the kind of flexible and accommodating life that will allow them to thrive. For others, that looks like advocating for more neuroinclusive workplaces that offer the flexibility and accessibility necessary to thrive.
As we are here, just at the very beginning of this global awakening, there is not yet a wealth of resources in place, built by neurodivergent people for neurodivergent people that support us in the way that we think and work.
It is at this crux that Expansive Expressions was born.
Expansive Expressions is a mission-driven social enterprise founded in 2017 that is addressing the staggering rates of unemployment among neurodivergent and disabled adults by:
- Delivering Neuroinclusion Accessibility Consulting & Training to businesses, schools, and organizations;
- Developing an app that will facilitate workplace belonging and accessibility;
- Equipping neurodivergent and disabled entrepreneurs with the tools and the resources they need to build a profitable and sustainable business through a start-up incubator program; and
- Employing & contracting neurodivergent and disabled experts and paying an equitable and thriving wage for the work they do.
As a queer, disabled, and neurodivergent-founded company we are building a model of what inclusive business can look like, from the ground up.
Our vision is to be a global leader in training, shaping, launching, and sustaining neuroinclusive businesses and workplaces.
Did You Know?
Around 30% of the U.S. population is neurodivergent according to research (though, we have to consider that this may not include the volume of self-identified neurodivergent folx who are absolutely valid) and 27% of the population is disabled.
Unemployment rates for neurodivergent + disabled soars at about 40% while just for Autistic adults, unemployment ranges spike to 85%. Many disabled and neurodivergent adults find their workplaces inaccessible and so their employment becomes unsustainable.
While there are programs that support individuals in finding jobs, such as Vocational Rehabilitation Programs and neurodiversity hiring initiatives, ultimately the challenge is not an individual one, but a systemic one. And so, we need systemic solutions.
There is significant market share for the workplace to better accommodate neurodivergent and disabled talent. We crave Access, Belonging, and opportunities to Contribute meaningful work, insight, innovation, and strategies to the world.
With Neuroinclusion Accessibilty everyone wins!
Businesses that integrate neuroinclusion attract high caliber neurodiverse talent and boast retention rates of 90% over other businesses.
Neuroinclusion builds psychological safety, cultivates belonging, promotes well-being, and is a significant burnout prevention strategy.
Neurodiverse teams are proven to be 30% more productive and efficient, while also delivering innovative solutions to overall operations.
Businesses integrating neuroinclusion accessibility strategies also report 28% higher revenue and increased profit margins.
Expansive Expressions is addressing umemployment rates among neurodivergent and disabled adults in four ways:
We deliver premium Executive Consulting to companies ready to make NeuroInclusion Accessibility a priority.
We provide guidance on policies, accommodations, systems, and workplace culture creating bespoke strategies tailored to each company.
We collaborate with leaders and coach them as they implement their new strategy and ensure the sustainability of the NeuroInclusion Accessibility.
Expansive Expressions employs and contracts LGBTQIA2S, BIPOC, women, neurodivergent and disabled experts and paying an equitable and thriving wage for the work they do.
We are developing a web app program that will make it easy for workplaces to build a culture of belonging and accessibility and integrate neuroinclusive practices.
We are quipping neurodivergent and disabled entrepreneurs with the tools and the resources they need to build a profitable and sustainable business through a start-up incubator program
Studies show that in general, 20% of businesses fail in the first year, 30% in the second year, and 50% by year five. Expansive Expressions is committed to supporting neurodivergent and disabled entrepreneurs in building sustainable and profitable businesses.
“Difference is that raw and powerful connection from which our personal power is forged. Without community there is no liberation. But community must not mean a shedding of our differences, nor the pathetic pretense that these differences do not exist.”
“It is within our differences that we are both most powerful and most vulnerable, and some of the most difficult tasks of our lives are the claiming of differences and learning to use those differences for bridges rather than as barriers between us.”
Audre Lorde
