A 'proudly autistic' workplace expert says putting neurodivergent employees in a typical office is like dropping a polar bear in Austin, Texas | Fortune

Most organizations are designed around neurotypical needs, which leaves neurodivergent people without the supports required to perform. Neurodivergent workers are compared to a polar bear placed in a climate that does not match its needs: capability remains, but the environment prevents full performance. About 20% of U.S. adults identify as neurodivergent, including autism, ADHD, dyslexia, and other conditions. A 2025 EY survey found only 25% of neurodivergent employees feel included and 39% plan to leave within a year. The survey also found 18% are “suppressed talents,” meaning structural mismatches limit performance. Disability inclusion leaders show faster revenue and profit growth and better productivity outcomes. The solution emphasizes universal design and accommodations rather than rebuilding workplaces entirely.

"Because most people are neurotypical, organizations are designed according to neurotypical needs, which means that people with neurodivergent needs get left out. His go-to illustration: imagine taking a polar bear - an apex predator, unrivaled on Arctic ice - and dropping it in Austin, Texas. The animal doesn't suddenly become less capable. It's just been placed in an environment that wasn't built for it. Neurodivergent workers, he argues, are that polar bear every time they walk into a standard open-plan office."

"Around 20% of U.S. adults identify as neurodivergent - a category that includes people on the autism spectrum, those with ADHD, dyslexia, and a range of other conditions. Yet a 2025 EY survey of more than 2,100 workers found that only 25% of neurodivergent employees feel included at work - and 39% said they planned to leave their jobs within the year. The same report found that 18% of neurodivergent respondents qualified as "suppressed talents": highly skilled workers unable to perform at their potential because of structural workplace mismatches, not personal shortcomings."

"A 2023 Accenture report found companies leading on disability inclusion saw revenues and profits grow faster than peers, and were 25% more likely to outperform on productivity metrics. Wendler says the fix doesn't require reinventing the workplace from scratch. Universal design - accommodations first built for on"

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