Increasing diversity in fashion
Talks about increasing inclusion and diversity often focus on the strengths of marginalised groups but what if we were to reframe the discussion? Instead of thinking purely about the benefits of neurodivergent people, we were to think about what we lose if we don’t include people and if we don’t make adjustments. Explore why in this article.
Note:
I want to preface this article by asserting that neurodivergent people are worthy of being employed and partaking in businesses as is and this article is in no way intended to ‘prove’ their worthiness and usefulness. Rather, it is the structural inequalities and ableism within society that make the experiences of neurodiverse people in the workforce challenging.
My aim is to highlight the often overlooked skills that neurodivergent people have in relation to fashion and expand your perspective on how they (or you) are valued and much-needed members of the team and business.
If you would like to know how you can be more inclusive at work – check out the resources section. Although, as no one-size-fits-all, often the best, most empowering thing to do is ask the person what they need, listen to them and adjust accordingly as you go, checking in and seeing what works and what doesn’t.
How can fashion embrace diversity?
Much is to be made of the ‘business case’ for brands being more inclusive, and whilst there are real-time economic gains that come from having a variety of people working for and with your organisation, inclusion befits more than a percentage in an annual report. We live in a diverse world, and it's only increasing. Fashion businesses have diverse consumers with differing needs and thus they require people who understand those communities.
One area of the inclusivity conversation that is often left out is neurodiversity – although a contested term, it is essentially a word for describing people who think and behave differently. It refers to the infinite range of differences in individual human brain function and behavioural traits. The term can include things such as people with learning differences, those with Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, ADHD, Autistic people, and people with certain mental health conditions and acquired brain conditions.
Neurodivergent people contribute to the organisations they work for with a range of skills and competencies, such as pattern recognition, enhanced memory, and problem-solving abilities.
But what if we were to reframe the discussion, instead of thinking purely about the benefits of neurodivergent people, we should think about what we lose if we don’t include people and if we don’t make adjustments.
Neurodiversity and creativity
One of the things we miss out on by not having a varied workforce is neurodivergent people’s enhanced creativity.
Some individuals are better able to engage in divergent thinking. For example, autistic individuals report an enhanced ability to generate complex, novel ideas that can facilitate a more creative way of thinking.
Therefore, by excluding neurodivergent people from our businesses, we lose out on a competitive edge, a way of thinking and working that can push our business and help us to innovate.
Fashion relies on creativity and the ability to continually push boundaries and come up with the ‘next best thing’ (although, with the move towards a more sustainable way of making and buying, that sentiment is shifting).
Nevertheless, being able to utilise the creativity of your workforce is vital for a business, leading to a better ability to respond to challenges, enhanced prosperity and innovation and thus, competitiveness. Therefore, by including a variety of people in your team, fashion businesses can only gain, improving their offerings and positioning.
Neurodiversity and problem-solving
Further, not giving neurodivergent people a ‘seat at the table’, impacts a business’s ability to solve unique and complex problems.
Research has shown that diverse groups of problem solvers outperform groups of high-ability solvers. Key to this finding is that high-ability problem solvers are more similar and thus lack a diversity of thought.
Neurodivergent people can enhance the organisations they are a part of with different perspectives and a diversity of thought that facilitates alternative ways of doing things.
For example, dyslexic individuals’ use of visual thinking enables them to process things on a global level, i.e. holistically, and this processing can contribute to greater creativity, which can facilitate problem-solving.
This alternative perspective can be advantageous for fashion businesses in being able to effectively manage and solve customers’ problems, for their innovation and performance, and ultimately standing out in a competitive market, helping businesses have a larger market share.
Ableism harms business performance
In addition, when we let ableism run rife in businesses, we lower retention, have poorer staff turnover and contribute to a lack of motivation in employees. It can also damage the business’s reputation, making it less likely they attract the best talent, which affects future business performance.
So, what can be done to help?
The Social Model of Disability suggests that people are disabled by their environment. It is the social conditions, such as cultural norms, that make it harder for neurodivergent people to effectively partake and work in society. We should therefore look to see what barriers can be removed in order to help.
Employers should make reasonable adjustments under the Equality Act but that is just the bare minimum. Some suggestions include flexible working hours, priority access to quiet spaces, allowing employees to work from home, and devices to help with note-taking. We can also incorporate more inclusive hiring practices, such as providing interviewees with copies of questions beforehand.
We should all take actionable steps to remove barriers but it is best to ask people what they specifically need. Practical questions should be posed, regardless of an individual's diagnosis and disclosure, such as;
How do you work best? What adjustments do you need? Is there anything you need to be done differently?
In general, we can help stop ableism from negatively affecting fashion businesses by creating an accessible environment and fostering a culture of inclusivity through company values. But you don’t have to be neurodivergent for these things to help, when we create a more inclusive environment, everyone benefits.
Fashion and neurodiversity
Overall, neurodivergence is a normal part of human, and natural, diversity. By focusing on what we miss out on when we exclude people, fashion businesses can improve strategies, innovate, enhance their competitive edge and better respond to challenges, helping to tackle the industry’s most pressing issues. When we accept, support and encourage people’s differences we can enhance and improve fashion businesses and our society.
Final thoughts:
What changes would you like to see in the fashion industry related to neurodivergent people’s needs?
How do you think fashion businesses can be more inclusive of differences?
Let me know in the comments.
Key points - How fashion can embrace neurodiversity
Reframing the discussion of inclusion as what we lose when we don’t embrace difference can help empower those marginalized and historically left out of the fashion industry.
Neurodivergence is a natural part of human nature, when we exclude people we miss out on enhanced creativity, different perspectives, innovative solutions, an engaged and productive workforce and a competitive edge.
Further reading
To learn more about Neurodiversity and human diversity, check out these links, articles and books.
Neurodivergent fashion discussion post
Explaining Humans book- Dr Camila Pang
Ways of Being book- James Bridle
Resources
If you want to be more inclusive at work, check out these resources about increasing accessibility, inclusion and understanding neurodiversity in the workplace.
Neurodiversity at Work CIPD Guidebook
Neurodiversity in the workplace blog post
Neurodiversity Network employment and educational resources
