Institute of Public Administration Australia (ACT) Limited

Neurodiversity has become an important topic in the Australian public sector. With research suggesting that teams can be 30 per cent more productive with neurodivergent professionals, workplaces stand much to gain from greater inclusivity. Yet, many public sector workplaces can still do more to be neurodiversity inclusive. In this episode, we ask: How can public sector work environments be improved to better leverage the skills of neurodivergent employees?

This time, we feature three public service thought leaders in the field, Lee Steel, Ability Network Champion and First Assistant Secretary, Intergovernmental Relations and Reform at PM&C (Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet), Robin Edmonds, Inclusion and Diversity Adviser and co-chair of the Ability Network at PM&C, and co-founder and co-chair of the cross-agency APS+ Neurodiversity Community of Practice, and Andrew Pfeiffer, Ability Network Executive and Adviser, BETA at PM&C and also co-founder and co-chair of the cross-agency APS+ Neurodiversity Community of Practice. They discuss what public sector workplaces could look like in 2028 and how to better support neurodivergent individuals.

Have more questions about neurodiversity? Get in touch here.

SHOW NOTES

• Autism and unemployment in Australia (Amaze)
• The inaugural APS Diversity and inclusion report 2022 (APSC)
• Business benefits of employing people with disability (Australian Network on Disability)
• Creating an accessible and inclusive workplace (Australian Human Rights Commission)
• The human rights model of disability (Victorian Government)
• Intersectionality (UN Women Australia)
• Prevalence of disability and autism in Australia (Australian Bureau of Statistics)
• Employment of people with disability (Australian Human Rights Commission)
• Neurodiversity definitions
• Andrew’s TED talk
• TED talk about the social model of disability/neurodiversity