Foreword

The responses to this survey leave me with mixed feelings. I am grateful to the many people who shared their experiences so fully and gratified that BCS is doing such important work. It's clear that the IT profession itself can be an excellent place for disabled and neurodivergent people, and digital a great enabler. However, it's disappointing — though not terribly surprising — to see that many barriers still exist. Whilst the situation is definitely improving, it is frustrating to see that many of these barriers are very simple to address. Respondents have a clear idea of what they need to perform their best. The first step any organisation needs is to listen to both their staff and customers. Doing this is one of the most effective steps any organisation can take to fully accessing the incredible talent available to them. This is doubly true when disability and neurodiversity are not the only marginalised aspects of identity people have.

We have made great progress in making the profession more accessible and inclusive, yet we still have much more work to do to get to where we need to be. In doing so, we will not only improve things for those currently marginalised and excluded. We will make IT better for all.

Matthew Bellringer, founding member of the BCS Neurodiversity Specialist Group.