FEBRUARY 2, 2023

Good Friend, Inc. and Disability:IN Wisconsin Proudly Announce New Collaboration Aimed at Increasing Understanding of Neurodiversity in the Workplace

Good Friend, Inc. and Disability:IN Wisconsin Proudly Announce New Collaboration Aimed at Increasing Understanding of Neurodiversity in the Workplace

January 23, 2023: Joined together in the mission to raise awareness of neurodivergence and autism in the workplace, Good Friend, Inc. and Disability:IN Wisconsin have announced plans to collaborate on a large-scale employer training initiative. This training will be anchored by the real experiences of autistic and neurodivergent people in the workforce, told in their voices in documentary format. Striving to improve employment outcomes for neurodivergent workers, the organizations want to ensure that this initiative focuses on attracting, retaining, and supporting neurodivergent talent.

“25% of the general population is neurodivergent yet, despite these figures, neurodivergent workers are far less likely to disclose their disability when compared to those with a physical disability,” said a rep from Good Friend, Inc. “People with invisible disabilities are part of the diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging equation. Through this collaboration, we plan to educate employers on how to best attract, retain and support neurodivergent talent.” 

Disability:IN Wisconsin serves as the state’s only B2B association that promotes disability inclusion in the workplace. They accomplish this by providing support through educational programs, resources that provide the tools to engage and improve performance, and networking that enables businesses to share best practices for disability inclusion, get updates on recent developments, and work collaboratively on common issues.  Similarly, Good Friend is known for amplifying the voices and stories of autistic people through short-documentary films and specially designed curricula intended to grow autism awareness, acceptance, and empathy among the neuro majority peers. Through their combined connections, resources, and unique skills, the organizations will work together to develop innovative educational tools to create real change in businesses of all sizes throughout Wisconsin.

This collaborative initiative will feature the stories of neurodivergent people navigating employment. Topics will be enhanced with the knowledge and experiences of employers, content experts, caregivers, and other supporters. Additionally, educational topics will be expanded upon in an e-learning format. Initial topics may include understanding autism/neurodivergence, building the case for hiring neurodivergent talent, social workplace dimensions, universal design concepts, and human resource’s philosophy and best practices.

Filming is set to take place this spring, with plans to premiere the documentary in the fall of 2023.

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