Introduction
The Accessibility Standing Group (ASG) is coordinating a Neuroinclusion in the Workplace speaker series for spring 2025. This series is part of continued work for supporting cognitive diversity and neuroinclusion. Alliance library workers shared feedback that included interest in learning more about workplace support, along with creating opportunities for conversation. Using this feedback, the ASG identified speakers to share their experiences and expertise. Each session will start with a presentation, followed by time for discussion, questions, and responses.
Session Schedule
- April 17, 2025: Christie Peters, Neuroinclusion in the Workplace: Navigating Unconscious Bias through Universal Design
- May 1, 2025: Nicole Gustavsen, Managing Executive Dysfunction in the Library: An Examination of Invisible Labor
- May 14, 2025: Maria Kelley (Washington Assistive Technology Act Program), Enhancing Cognitive Functioning and Abilities with Assistive Devices and Tools
- May 29, 2025: Robert Perret, Including Neurodiversity
- June 10, 2025: Patrick Patterson, Intersection between Cognitive Disabilities and the User Experience
Each session will use Zoom’s automated captions for the live sessions with human-provided and edited captions for the recordings.
Neuroinclusion in the Workplace: Navigating Unconscious Bias through Universal Design
Speaker: Christie Peters, Head of Area Studies, Humanities, and Social Sciences Librarians; Prison Education Project Librarian, Washington University in St. Louis
Date: April 17, 2025, 10:00am-11:30am PDT
Online Session: Registration for Alliance Members
This session will be recorded with a focus on the presentation portion. (Alliance Central Staff will pause or stop the recording during discussion sections.)
Description: Libraries have striven to become more inclusive of the individuals we serve across all services, but the focus remains largely outward. Research shows that organizations are less likely to consider workplace accommodations for individuals whose differences are not visible or understood. Neurodivergent employees who are affected with one or more recognized invisible “disabilities” can attest to this unfortunate truth, and the struggle doesn’t end with accommodations. For example, adults with ADHD, a diagnosis the presenter shares, are less likely to be promoted within an organization and more likely to face unemployment. They consistently relate less well with supervisors and are significantly more likely to be disciplined at work and/or terminated. Libraries of all types still have a lot of work to do to build out inclusive practices that cater to the diverse needs and abilities of their employees, regardless of disclosure of disability.
In this session, the presenter will highlight the importance of neuroinclusion within libraries, the difficulties that neurodiversity as invisible “disability” presents to neuroinclusion efforts, the detrimental role of unconscious bias on successful implementation of internal inclusion efforts, and a path forward through Universal Design for Learning [Working]. A basic understanding of neurodiversity will be beneficial for attendees.
Learning Objectives:
- Participants will recognize the challenges neurodivergent employees and others with invisible “disabilities” face in the workplace
- Participants will differentiate between different types of unconscious bias in the workplace
- Participants will articulate how a Universal Design for Learning organizational mindset can establish a baseline for internal inclusive efforts.
Speaker Bio: Christie Peters is Head of the Area Studies, Humanities, & Social Sciences Librarians Team at Washington University in St. Louis (WashU) Libraries. Prior to WashU, Christie served as Head of the Science & Engineering Library at the University of Kentucky Libraries. Current efforts include development and coordination of WashU Libraries participation in the University’s Prison Education Project and advocacy for neuroinclusion in libraries. Regarding the latter, Christie presented the session Becoming a Neuroinclusive Manager: Moving Beyond Awareness at the Conference on Academic Library Management in June 2023 and has been presenting on the topic of neurodiversity and inclusion in the workplace ever since!
Managing Executive Dysfunction in the Library: An Examination of Invisible Labor
Speaker: Nicole Gustavsen, STEM Librarian, Gonzaga University
Date: May 1, 2025, 11:00am-12:00pm PDT
Online Session: Registration for Alliance Members
This session will be recorded with a focus on the presentation portion. (Alliance Central Staff will pause or stop the recording during discussion sections.)
Description: Library, archives, and information work asks a lot of our executive functions (EFs): we need access to our working memory, a high degree of flexibility, goal-directed persistence, and many other cognitive functions to get through a typical day in a library. Everyone has functions that are stronger and weaker, and everyone’s EFs are negatively affected by stress, hunger, illness, and the ups and downs of life. However, many people struggle with executive DYSfunction, which is strongly correlated with neurological conditions like autism and ADHD, mental illness like bipolar disorder and OCD, or physical conditions like traumatic brain injuries. Managing executive dysfunction can be a daily challenge, but that work is often carried out in the shadows, neither seen nor discussed. This talk will discuss it! We’ll look at how executive dysfunctions are most effectively managed, and why this work deserves to be recognized as part of a larger conversation on the invisible labor of living with disability.
Learning Objectives:
- Participants will understand what executive functions and dysfunctions look like.
- Participants will understand the concept of invisible labor and how it intersects with disability, particularly invisible disabilities.
- Participants will understand how executive dysfunction can create invisible labor, and what that labor looks like.
- Participants will connect all of this understanding to the setting of library work, and how everyone can lessen the load of invisible labor on disabled workers.
About Nicole Gustavsen: I am the STEM Specialist Librarian at Gonzaga University in Spokane, WA, where I’ve lived and worked since 2019. I got my MLIS from the University of Washington in 2016. This talk is from my perspective as an autistic person who also lives with chronic mental health challenges. I have been presenting and writing about mental health in the library field for my entire career, and I am passionate about supporting the large community of library and archives workers who live with mental health and neurological challenges. My special interests are dogs (especially my dog), aquascaping and fish- and shrimp-keeping, perfumery, and science fiction literature.
Enhancing Cognitive Functioning and Abilities with Assistive Devices and Tools
Speaker: Maria Kelley, Senior Assistive Technology Specialist, Washington Assistive Technology Act Program
Date: May 14, 2025, 11:00am-12:30pm PDT
Online Session: Registration for Alliance Members
This session will be recorded with a focus on the presentation portion. (Alliance Central Staff will pause or stop the recording during discussion sections.)
Description: Assistive technology (AT) is any product or service that makes tasks easier or possible. This webinar will provide an overview of common cognitive barriers and how assistive technology can enhance functioning in school, work, and community living. We’ll introduce AT tools and devices that support cognition and neurodivergence, such as tools for memory and organization, attention and concentration, task management, writing aids, and more.
While the intended audience for this session is library and archives workers at colleges and universities, we also recognize our cooperative roles in our communities – including students, staff, faculty, and public patrons. As such, the content will be applicable and relevant to both library and archives folks in our daily work lives and to the support and referrals we share with our communities.
Learning Objectives:
- Participants will gain an understanding of common cognitive barriers and how assistive technology can enhance functioning in school, work and community living.
- Participants will identify three assistive technology devices that promote independence with task management.
- Participants will identify two mobile technology tools that can help individuals with cognitive challenges gain greater independence in performing daily activities.
Speaker Bio: Maria Kelley, OTR/L, ATP, earned a degree in Occupational Therapy from Ohio State University and an ATP certification from the Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America (RESNA). As a Senior Assistive Technology Specialist with the Washington Assistive Technology Act Program, she conducts evaluations for assistive technology, worksite, and home modifications, and provides AT-related presentations and training. Maria has presented on assistive technology at various national and state conferences. She is an active member of the RESNA Education Committee and was recently appointed to the Washington OT Practice Board.
Including Neurodiversity
Speaker: Robert Perret, Archivist, Washington State Archives
Date: May 29, 2025, 1:00pm-2:00pm PDT
Online Session: Registration for Alliance Members
This session will be recorded with a focus on the presentation portion. (Alliance Central Staff will pause or stop the recording during discussion sections.)
Description: Neurodiverse people are dramatically underserved by community services, and libraries and archives have great opportunities to address that need. Learn tips and strategies for engaging with neurodiverse community members, including programming ideas and successful outreach plans. Also learn about the possibilities and opportunities for collaboration with neurodiverse people. They can be your biggest supporters and most reliable regulars with the welcoming approaches discussed in this session.
Learning Objectives:
- Participants will gain a greater understanding of the neurodiverse people in their communities.
- Participants will identify some of the most common wants and needs of neurodiverse people.
- Participants will discover strategies for reaching out, including programming ideas.
Speaker Bio: Robert Perret is an Autistic person (with ADHD) who works as an archivist for the State of Washington. He previously worked at an academic library where he led outreach to students and community members, as well as creating a group for neurodiverse staff on campus. He has served on a variety of committees as a champion of including neurodiverse people. He has served as President of Northwest Archivists, as well as in various capacities in the Orbis Cascade Alliance, and the Pacific Northwest Library Association.
Intersection between Cognitive Disabilities and the User Experience
Speaker: Patrick Patterson
Date: June 10, 2025, 11:00am-12:00pm PDT
Online Session: Registration for Alliance Members
This session will be recorded with a focus on the presentation portion. (Alliance Central Staff will pause or stop the recording during discussion sections.)
Description: Having an understanding of both cognitive disabilities and the user experience will help you to develop virtual content that is both accessible and easy to use for people to read and locate information. When it comes to cognitive disabilities and the user experience, they often get overlooked and hard to address because of the challenges of creating content that meets their needs. We will discuss the challenges that people with cognitive disabilities have when reading content online and its relationship to some of the user experience principles. One of the goals is to provide you with information that you can use to improve the user experience for everyone regardless of their challenges.
Learning Objectives:
- Participants will gain an understanding of the different types of cognitive disabilities.
- Participants will recognize the challenges that people with cognitive differences may have when interacting with content electronically.
- Participants will identify different user experience principles in the physical world and how they correspond to the virtual one.
- Participants will determine ways to create content to make it easier for people with cognitive and physical challenges to read online.
Speaker Bio: Patrick’s quest to learn more about the challenges that people have with content started as a graduate student working at the Adaptive Technology Center at Indiana University. The center provides services to students with both learning and physical disabilities. It continued while working as a Web Services Librarian at both SUNY Potsdam and the University of Oregon. For several years, Patrick also worked as an Adjunct Instructor for the Art Institute of Pittsburgh teaching online courses in the Multimedia and Website Design Department.