I’m the marketing manager at MedicAlert, and I am also autistic.

Which means I spend my days thinking about, and trying to improve, communication, clarity, processes and systems… while possessing a brain that occasionally reacts to ambiguity like a Victorian ghost encountering unfinished business.

Autism Acceptance Week often focuses on helping the public understand neurodiversity, which is really important, but I think there is another conversation worth having, too: 

What does it actually look like when a workplace supports neurodivergent people?

Accessibility is not just something organisations provide for their members or customers, it also shows up in how they treat the people who work there.

Autistic brains are spectacular at many things and struggle with others. I’m great at spotting patterns and inconsistencies, thinking creatively and planning campaigns. I’m also really good at asking inconvenient questions, like “why are we doing it this way?”, which might be really annoying for my boss but it is also an important part of our continuous effort to improve our service.

What I’m not particularly fond of are vague instructions, chaotic communication and fluorescent lighting that feels like it was personally designed by a supervillain. It’s a bit of give and take!

If you are autistic, a lot of workplaces can feel like they were designed by someone who assumed every human brain runs on the same operating system. Spoiler Alert: They do not. If our brains were computers, some would run on Windows, some would run on Mac, some might even run on Linux. Mine personally would run on something closer to an experimental operating system that occasionally summons bars but is extremely good at spotting someone else’s typo… just not my own!

Accessibility at MedicAlert

A lot of things may come to mind when you hear the term “accessibility”, but more than captions and alt text, the cultural side of accessibility is just as important. Having leadership that is comfortable with being asked clarifying questions, that respect different working styles and take the wellbeing of their staff seriously. For neurodivergent people, those things can make the difference between surviving at work and actually thriving.

One of the reasons I care about working at MedicAlert is that this organisation exists to support people with hidden conditions, something neurodivergent people know all about! Many of the people who rely on MedicAlert live with conditions that are not immediately visible. Conditions like epilepsy, diabetes, allergies, heart conditions and more. From the outside, you could not tell what is going on on the inside. If something happens and they can’t communicate in an emergency, their medical information needs to speak for them. 

That is the entire purpose of MedicAlert: making sure vital information is available when it matters most. There is something really powerful about working for an organisation built around the idea that not everything important is visible, because the same is true for many of the people who work here and help bring this mission to life.

Flexibility around how people work, understanding that brains function differently and being able to reassess processes that don’t work are all important parts of making a workplace accessible. No one wants to ask for change and be left feeling like they have committed a social crime. Feedback and communication should easily flow both ways.

The culture at MedicAlert recognises that many people - staff, members, influencers - live with medical conditions, disabilities or neurodivergence.

Autism Acceptance Week is not just about recognising challenges, but also recognising strengths. Awareness means knowing Autism exists. Acceptance means understanding that autistic people may communicate differently and approach work differently and recognising how valuable those differences can be. It means moving away from the idea that everyone has to fit one very narrow definition of ‘professional’.

Autistic people are everywhere, at work, charities, leadership roles, creative roles, analytic roles and yes, sometimes even running marketing departments. You may not always know who we are, but we can usually be found improving systems, questioning assumptions and occasionally staring into the middle distance because the office kettle made an unexpected noise.

Autism Acceptance Week is a good reminder that inclusion is not about forcing people to fit the mould, it is about building an environment that allows staff to grow and contribute in ways you may not have thought of yet, even if that means that occasionally slightly unconventional brains help shape the future of an organisation that supports people with complex needs because that feels quite fitting to me!

If you or someone you care for lives with a medical condition, disability or additional needs, you can learn more about how MedicAlert membership helps ensure vital information is available when it matters most