Lutfur Ali , Senior Policy and Practice Adviser at CIPD
Lutfur has dedicated more than 30 years to championing social justice, equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) and change in the public, private and third sector. He strongly believes in the importance of effective equality, diversity and inclusion leadership in driving sustainable improvements and delivering organisational vision, mission and goals.
Before joining the CIPD,
Lutfur led a consultancy practice and held several high-profile roles in the public, private and not-for-profit sectors. These include the Tribal Group PLC, the Department of Health and the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority.
In today’s competitive business world, innovation and performance egypt phone number library success. Yet, many organisations overlook a key talent pool – neurodivergent individuals. According to the Autistic Society research, based on Office of National Statistics data, only 16% of autistic adults in the UK are in full-time employment.
This highlights systemic barriers preventing neurodivergent individuals – including those with autism, attention deficit alb directory disorder (ADHD), dyslexia, and dyspraxia – from fully participating in the workforce.
Prioritising neuroinclusion means giving someone the opportunity to unlock their potential, to misinformation exposes limits drive innovation, add value to business outcomes and build truly inclusive workplaces.
What is neurodiversity?
Neurodiversity refers to natural variations in human brain function, including different ways of thinking, learning, and processing information. Conditions such as autism, ADHD, dyslexia, and dyspraxia fall under this umbrella.
Neuroinclusion means creating workplaces where neurodivergent employees feel safe, supported, and valued, and understanding that there are diverse cognitive styles.
The gap between awareness and action
Many UK businesses acknowledge the importance of neuroinclusion, but there is a gap between awareness and action.
The CIPD’s Neuroinclusion at work report 2024 (PDF, 847KB) found that while 60% of senior managers say neuroinclusion is a focus, only 33% have it in their equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) strategy. Nearly a third (32%) of organisations do not focus on neuroinclusion at all.
A separate CIPD 2022 report on Inclusion at work, revealed that while 79% of businesses recognise equality, diversity and inclusion’s importance, only 48% have a strategy and just 17% measure its impact. Leadership commitment and accountability are crucial for turning awareness into meaningful change.