The optical sector is no stranger to the need for supportive workplace environments for neurodivergent individuals who think and learn differently. Increased awareness for equal employee support and opportunities has been demonstrated by the General Optical Council’s (GOC) new workforce and perceptions survey question, which found that 66% agreed the regulator promotes equality, diversity and inclusion in its work.
Despite this significant figure, the GOC said it lacks specific policies or guidance aimed at neurodiverse individuals but does have broader inclusivity and diversity standards. It commented: ‘Both our standards for optometrists and dispensing opticians and optical businesses make clear that registrants should promote equality, value diversity, be inclusive in all dealings, and not discriminate on various grounds, including disability.’
There are various suppliers in the optical industry that have made efforts to accommodate neurodiverse employees and create new opportunities. Swiss eyewear manufacturer Götti told Optician that it has worked with Stiftung Bühl, a foundation helping physically and mentally disabled people, including those on the neurodiversity spectrum to provide factory staff for two of its eyewear collections, Götti Perspective and Götti Dimension.
Stephanie Kallen from Götti’s communication and marketing team, explains: ‘They help us to prepare individual frame parts, for example, assembling the hinges.’ As a highly sensitive person, Kallen praises Götti’s workplace: ‘We are divided into different departments on two floors, giving the whole company a lot of space and calmness. If it does get a little louder though, I can work with headphones or noise-cancelling tools in my department. In every department, there is at least one person responsible for helping if you need any support. We are also free to design our own workplace and have no [assigned] work clothes.’
Adapt and thrive
Eyewear company Eyespace also highlights how it has adopted an intuitive working environment that adapts to employees when necessary. Jayne Abel, CEO and co-founder, comments: ‘Many more people will identify as neurodiverse in the near future as new terminology and diagnostic tools become widespread, so supporting them should form part of good line management.
‘At Eyespace, we have a number of highly effective and valued colleagues with dyslexia and ADD or ADHD. It has been natural and intuitive to adapt their roles to suit their cognitive processes and they are thriving. Where we have encountered adult-diagnosed dyslexia affecting language and data processing, we have allocated nearby colleagues to support on administrative tasks such as diarising and proof-reading. The additional time taken to support in one area pays huge dividends elsewhere, such as strategic insight and thought leadership.’
Abel emphasises that having employees with the ability to think differently has benefited the design department as many new details and perspectives are considered. ‘This has taken us to exciting new creative territories. In our design workshop, a highly skilled developer with ADD demonstrates an alternating work pattern of intense focus and then task divergence so we ensure that other colleagues in the department support with methodical procedures, such as sample archiving and managing supply chain deadlines.’
She adds: ‘We tend to switch our management style depending on what we’re observing; sometimes colleagues need space to focus or close support with task prioritisation; it is a fairly intuitive rhythm and is never a problem. Neurodiverse colleagues don’t need to be changed – they have already proven their capability by getting to their current position – we simply need to recognise and optimise the work patterns they need to unlock their full potential and performance within the business. Diversity strengthens a team and neurodiversity can provide extraordinary added value with new approaches and ideas.’