Neurodiversity win: My employer released guidelines about good workplace communication, modeled after how I (an autistic person) communicate (autistically)

Just wanted to share a bit of a bright point from last week, especially since I know The Workplace is a gauntlet of horrors designed to punish a lot of us neurodivergent people.

I’ve always got really great feedback on my communication skills. It’s one part writing-as-a-hobby, one part devops drive for operational efficiency, and three parts AuDHD. In particular I’m really good at communicating technical topics in ways that engineers are receptive to and that non-technical people can understand. Since my entire workplace is remote, efficient and comprehensible written communication is really important.

About a month ago I got looped into an initiative to add explicit guidelines about how to communicate effectively while remote. I was just asked to give feedback on how the guidelines sounded — and I realized that they were all modeled after how I specifically communicate. I even asked my boss about it and she confirmed that it was “heavily inspired” by my communication style. The best parts: I didn’t really have to do much work for this initiative, and I’ve been openly AuDHD at work for a year at this point, so they’re quite aware.

They literally just want everyone to make their communication more autistic, and they’re documenting that explicitly.

Unironic DEI win

Rules

1.) ableist language=post or comment will probably get removed (enforced case by case, some comments will be removed and restored due to complex situations). repeated use of ableist language=banned from comm and possibly site depending on severity. properly tagged posts with CW can use them for the purposes of discussing them

2.) always assume good faith when dealing with a fellow nd comrade especially due to lack of social awareness being a common symptom of neurodivergence

2.5) right to disengage is rigidly enforced. violations will get you purged from the comm. see rule 3 for explanation on appeals

3.) no talking over nd comrades about things you haven’t personally experienced as a neurotypical chapo, you will be purged. If you’re ND it is absolutely fine to give your own perspective if it conflicts with another’s, but do so with empathy and the intention to learn about each other, not prove who’s experience is valid. Appeal process is like appealing in user union but you dm the nd comrade you talked over with your appeal (so make it a good one) and then dm the mods with screenshot proof that you resolved it. fake screenies will get you banned from the site, we will confirm with the comrade you dm’d.

3.5) everyone has their own lived experiences, and to invalidate them is to post cringe. comments will be removed on a case by case basis depending on determined level of awareness and faith

4.) Interest Policing will not be tolerated in any form. Support your comrades in their joy!

Further rules to be added/ rules to be changed based on community input

RULES NOTE: For this community more than most we understand that the clarity and understandability of these rules is very important for allowing folks to feel comfortable, to that end please don’t be afraid to be outspoken about amendments and addendums to these rules, as well as any we may have missed