By Konstantina Leventi, konstantina.leventi@easpd.eu
June 16th marks Neurodiversity Pride Day, and the European Association of Service Providers for Persons with Disabilities (EASPD) wishes to highlight the importance of person-centred practices in care and support that respect and support neurodiverse people. Person-centred approaches place people at the heart of their own care and support, prioritising their unique needs, preferences, and experiences. To adequately support neurodiverse individuals, this requires adopting person-centred approaches that account for intersectionality. This also involves comprehensive training for the care and support workforce.
Various aspects of a person’s identity—such as race, gender, sexuality, and disability—intersect and influence their experiences and challenges. For instance, a neurodiverse person who is also part of the LGBTQI+ community may face distinct challenges that differ from those of a neurodiverse person who does not share these additional identities. By acknowledging these overlapping identities, person-centred approaches can become more inclusive. This further ensures that support systems are not one-size-fits-all but are instead tailored to accommodate the diverse and overlapping identities of neurodiverse people.
Adopting a person-centred approach that recognises the intersectional nature of identity requires equipping care and support staff with the knowledge and skills needed to support neurodiverse people. Ensuring thorough staff training helps to create inclusive practices fostering a culture of empathy and respect and it involves several key components:
- understanding Neurodiversity helps dismantle stereotypes and misconceptions;
- fostering intersectional awareness emphasises the importance of considering all aspects of a person’s identity;
- sharing practical strategies, such as communication techniques, developing sensory-friendly environments, further equips staff with tools to adequately engage and support neurodiverse people.
Placing people at the heart of their own care and support also requires enabling legal frameworks recognising the right to legal capacity for all people with disabilities, as well as fostering the implementation of supported decision-making. These aspects are fundamental and must be supported through existing and additional EU initiatives. The European Commission’s forthcoming guidance to Member States aims to improve independent living and community inclusion for persons with disabilities. Together with the upcoming Framework on Social Services of Excellence for persons with disabilities these initiatives should aim in supporting social services advancing towards higher quality, empowering, and person-centred forms of support, aligned with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UN CRPD). These initiatives can and should both support the adoption of person-centred approaches in social services that also account for intersectionality, the adoption of legal reforms abolishing substitute decision-making and establishing supported decision-making.
As a large employer, social care and support services also have the responsibility to create inclusive workplaces, including for neurodiverse workers. In fact, having human resource policies that enable more diversity in social support workers, will also contribute positively to providing more person-centred support too. This aspect should also not be ignored by social care and support providers.
As we celebrate Neurodiversity Pride Day, EASPD wants to remind that promoting person-centred approaches that account for intersectionality, further honours the full spectrum of human diversity. By ensuring that staff are well-trained and equipped to support neurodiverse people, we can create inclusive spaces where everyone has the opportunity to thrive. Embracing intersectionality within person-centred approaches not only fosters inclusivity but also helps create a more supportive and equitable environment for all.
