NHS LOTHIAN | STAFF NETWORKS
Disabled Employee Network (DEN)
Around 40% of the workforce have some form of impairment – some lesser and others higher – which can impact on their working and personal lives. The social model of disability sees the person first and argues that the barriers people face, in combination with their impairments, are what disables them.
The Disabled Employee Network (DEN) welcomes any member of NHS Lothian staff who identifies as disabled, neurodivergent, or with a long-term health condition. You don’t need a formal diagnosis, and you don’t need to disclose your condition to your line manager or to other DEN members.
The aim of DEN is to encourage contact, support and friendship among members of staff who self identify as having an impairment or disability, bringing together diverse staff from across NHS Lothian into an environment where issues of disability can be discussed in confidence and where advice and information can be sought. DEN will raise the profile of disability in NHS Lothian in a staff centred way. DEN will research best practice on workplace disability and will gather members’ experiences to better inform NHS Lothian on how best practice can benefit organisational goals and foster good employee relations.
Meetings
All meetings take place in our Teams channel. Contact us if you would like to receive the Teams invitation.
Next meeting:
Our next meeting is Wednesday 25 March, 12.30-1.30pm.
Future meetings:
- Further 2026 meetings will be shared as soon as possible
DEN Chairs Blog
Neurodiversity Celebration Week (16-20 March 2026)
by Jack Hellberg, DEN co-chair
Neurodiversity is a concept that has gained significant mainstream attention in the last few years, although the concept has origins in the late 90s. If I can take a stab at a definition, neurodiversity refers to the idea that there is no such thing as an “abnormal” brain, but rather that there is diversity in how people think and experience the world in much the same way as different humans exhibit diverse physical presentations. Under this idea, what were previously understood as isolated “disorders” (e.g. ADHD, autism, dyslexia) can now be seen as clusters of traits which fall within healthy human diversity.
That said, I don’t think we are at a place yet where we can shed labels such as dyslexia or ADHD, nor can we pretend that everyone’s experiences are roughly equivalent in the obstacles they face. People who have traits of any of these conditions encounter discrimination and inaccessibility that can severely impact their day-to-day lives. Because of this, this community has adopted the label as “neurodivergent” over “neurodiverse”, as this still acknowledges that they are neurologically divergent from the majority of people for which society has partially been built to cater to (however, keep in mind that some estimates put the rate of neurodivergence in the general population as high as 20%).
So, is neurodivergent just another word for dyspraxia, autism, dyslexia, ADHD, etc? Definitely not! Many conditions associated with being neurodivergent are undergoing rapid changes in understanding. It wasn’t too long ago that ADHD was seen as a childhood condition, or autism as a narrow set of behaviours mostly seen in boys. For example, even the idea of a linear autism spectrum is out of date. Instead, many clinicians instead look for different combinations of traits across a few different domains (e.g. social differences, sensory sensitivities, strong interests). Links and overlaps between different neurodivergent conditions are becoming more apparent as well, so a diagnostic label can’t reliably capture how one neurodivergent person might experience the world in comparison to another. “AuDHD” is a growing term for those who might fit both an autism and ADHD diagnosis, but two people who identify as AuDHD will likely still have differing traits. As it turns out, not all brains fit into neat little boxes representing distinct conditions.
What diagnostic label someone might best fit is not a requirement for someone to be neurodivergent anyway. Neurodivergence assessment services tend to have waiting lists best measured in years, if they exist at all. Most neurodivergent people likely become aware of their neurodivergence far before they receive any kind of assessment due to the obstacles, discrimination, and/or social exclusion they face. They might not know exactly what technical label fits them, but they do know that they are neurodivergent. Being neurodivergent also comes with a community, which is especially important for a group which faces significant social exclusion. People are unique, and that diversity is important for our communities and the richness of the human experience. It has been affirming to see the growth of the neurodivergent community over the past few years, and I am particularly thankful for the folk that have had the courage to put themselves out there and pave the way for wider visibility. I look forward to seeing how our community continues to evolve.
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