As a fairly recent recruit to Teamspirit I was fascinated, encouraged and enthused to see a number of meeting requests go into my diary for various neurodiversity training sessions last week. And it wasn’t wasted on me that this training came in advance of the upcoming [Neurodiversity Celebration Week](https://www.neurodiversityweek.com/) later this month – rather than a reaction to it. 

The topic of neurodiversity has been high in my consciousness over the last six months, with family members, close friends and ex colleagues sharing their recent diagnoses and, not least, the fact that the FCA’s Consumer Duty deadline is looming large for many of our clients in the world of financial services. 
According to Consumer Duty descriptions people who have any form of neurodivergence would be classified as vulnerable and the FS organisations serving them have a responsibility to engage with them in an ethical and respectful manner, with satisfactory inclusive customer experiences. One of the resounding statements, being heard far and wide during the lead up to the regulatory deadlines, is that this preparation should not be considered a box ticking exercise, but an expectation which ultimately benefits both businesses and their customers. 

So, it is only natural that neurodiverse employees should be offered the same respect in their workplaces, and similar recognition be given that when all employees are able to contribute and work in the best manner to suit them, employers are bound to reap the rewards. 

But, how many of us are operating in the world oblivious to whether we have a form of neurodivergence or not. Many of us have an understanding of terms which come as standard under a semi-aware lexicon such as dyslexia, ADHD and autism, but this training took me into a far more nuanced world of [aphantasia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aphantasia), [dysgraphia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dysgraphia) and [misophonia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Misophonia) to name a few. Also, when I looked around the room, I realised that the whole group was fascinated by this new knowledge and potentially greater self-awareness, or awareness of traits we may have seen in friends, family and colleagues. I also noticed a genuine desire from everyone attending to know – but what next? What can we do with this knowledge? 

In our session we were being given skills for the first steps in how to manage and work with people with varying forms of neurodiversity. How to approach sensitive conversations, where to go for support and the sort of tools and different ways of working which may assist in the process. 

Ultimately though, we were all left feeling how this form of diversity is another we want to celebrate and include as part of our agency – as we all know that when you are part of a truly diverse team, comms greatness is more likely to happen. By being able to listen, absorb and challenge each other’s perceptions, we are better equipped to communicate and truly connect with all of the audiences we intend to reach – such as those the FCA's Consumer Duty deadline is looking to serve this summer.     

March is the month we welcome Neurodiversity Celebration Week. We've held company wide training, PR Director, Pippa Cranham, recounts below her experience of the training and some of the helpful insights she was left with...

I recently came across [this](https://public.tableau.com/app/profile/chimdi.nwosu/viz/W_E_B_DuboisPortraitGallery/MainGallery) beautifully designed exploration of some of W.E.B. Du Bois’ visionary data visualisations from 1900,  showcasing the progress made by Black Americans after emancipation as well as the challenges they still faced.

As I was admiring the different charts, tables and maps I realised they were a perfect example of how their author had lived up to this year’s Black History Month theme of enacting change by action and not only words: W.E.B. Du Bois viewed this sociological work as an opportunity to counter the false and racist ideas behind Social Darwinism, by presenting statistical data showing how far the African American community had advanced in the (then) short period since the abolition of slavery. 

![Picture6](//images.ctfassets.net/sxw14dxmazhg/6sz1H7NUVmmhfdrU861yMz/496b1706a9b543ed5561f94be24b2841/Picture6.jpg)

But before I delve deeper into the project, let’s step back and provide a bit of context. William Edward Burghardt Du Bois, better known as W.E.B. Du Bois, was born in 1898 in Massachusetts, USA, son of a domestic worker and a barber and itinerant labourer. In addition to his contributions to the field of data visualisation, he is one of the most prominent US Black civil rights activist, a celebrated scholar, editor and sociologist. 
He was the first African American to earn a doctorate, graduating from Harvard and then becoming professor of history, sociology, and economics at Atlanta University. 
Throughout his life he fought prejudice and racism, using rigour, data and eloquence to speak out against oppression and calling for equal rights. He was the only Black founder of the civil rights group the National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People (NAACP) in 1908 and was a key figure in establishing Pan-African Congresses at the turn of the century. His support for the end of colonialism earned him the admiration of many African leaders, leading to an invitation by President Kwame Nkrumah to move to Ghana, which he did in 1961 when he was 93 years old. He died two years later, shortly after becoming a Ghanaian citizen. 
His most famous book, The Souls of Black Folk, published in 1903, is a collection of essays on race, work and culture that criticised the (then) more prevalent policy of political conservatism and racial accommodation promoted by Booker T. Washington. 
Equally significant were the more than 60 data portraits he created in 1900, which were the first and some of the most sophisticated quantitative research ever done on race and the Black population, establishing Du Bois as a designer, narrator and curator of Black culture. 

![Assessed value](//images.ctfassets.net/sxw14dxmazhg/4TGwaBj555d2fYLJ4W51Wa/5a4f6d43a9cb0e6cf560091873ec62c0/Assessed_value.jpg)

A request to contribute a social study about African American life to the Exposition Universelle, the Paris World Fair of 1900 sparked this project. This was a time when human zoos displaying people from colonised nations were still common in fairs like this one and Du Bois sought to challenge such practices and views. He included the infographics as part of an Exhibit of American Negroes, calling it “an honest straightforward exhibit of a small nation of people, picturing their life and development without apology or gloss, and above all made by themselves.” 

![Picture2](//images.ctfassets.net/sxw14dxmazhg/5fqUNYGwtZ6w8NcUUUlZDW/71f9e455da4c2a42b8ed0c1c7df88d0e/Picture2.jpg)

The show included a selection of hundreds of photographs that presented a more rounded view of what life was like for Black Americans. Still, the images alone were not enough to show both how far the Black community had come in less than 50 years and the many ways in which the legacy of slavery and institutional racism were holding Black Americans back. 
So, Du Bois, together with a team of students and alumni, started putting together a series of data portraits that would bring into focus in vibrant and modern graphics the social and intellectual achievements of Black America. 
Using a range of striking visual and design techniques that mix conventional choices (such as bar and area charts) with more innovative formats such as “coxcomb” diagrams and spiral bars, Du Bois created a narrative of progress that included indicators for property ownership, population growth, rising employment and improving literacy rates, as wells as other metrics of social improvement.  

![Picture3](//images.ctfassets.net/sxw14dxmazhg/74wyzN4riT6ydIXOOh1qbK/bd7ea655cec42106af83d60d23b22e4d/Picture3.jpg)

All the illustrations are beautifully drawn by hand and have impeccable statistical accuracy drawn from using reliable sources such as the U.S. Census data, the U.S. Bureau of Labor statistics and various government reports. 
The infographics were designed to stand out and tell a nuanced and complex story of how Black Americans hadn’t progressed because of the country they lived in, but rather were prospering despite of it. Du Bois and his team were also mindful of the international setting where the work was being presented, so they sought to make comparisons that countered inaccurate stereotypes and perceptions. The graphics illustrated how, for example, Black Americans had higher marriage rates than Germans, an older population than the French and were more literate than the Russians or Romanians. 

![Picture4](//images.ctfassets.net/sxw14dxmazhg/3GRc3op6ExVyxPepoHwTgY/6115261e3e087bba2da347892ac8f26a/Picture4.jpg)

The exhibit received extensive praised, with the judges awarding Du Bois a gold medal for his role as compiler of the materials presented. It received accolades in the African American press, but generated little interest in European media and almost none in mainstream publications in America.  
When the tour was finished, the materials were archived by the US Library of Congress, where they stayed in relative obscurity until the Library digitised them, making the pioneering work available to a whole new audience. The recent rise in interest in data visualisation has propelled Du Bois’ work to the level of fame and recognition it rightfully deserves, inspiring many to use innovative ways to visualise the many inequalities in modern society and paving the way to make meaningful change happen. 

### Sources: 

 •https://public.tableau.com/app/profile/chimdi.nwosu/viz/W_E_B_DuboisPortraitGallery/MainGallery  

•	https://nightingaledvs.com/spotlight-w-e-b-du-bois-portrait-gallery/ 

•	https://www.loc.gov/pictures/collection/anedub/item/2014645363/ 

•	https://hyperallergic.com/476334/how-w-e-b-du-bois-meticulously-visualized-20th-century-black-america/ 

•	https://hyperallergic.com/306559/w-e-b-du-boiss-modernist-data-visualizations-of-black-life/ 

•	https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/black-atlantic/information/w.e.b._dubois/ 

•	https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-58884584 

•	https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/first-time-together-and-color-book-displays-web-du-bois-visionary-infographics-180970826/ 

•	https://dataliteracy.com/web-du-bois-story-of-resilience/


W.E.B. Du Bois is best known for his important work as a civil rights advocate, editor and sociologist, but he also played a less well-known role as a pioneer in the area of data visualisation, decades before it was even recognised as a separate field. 

- My name is Jess and I’m Creative Services Director at Teamspirit
- I have ADHD
- I’m writing in bullets as it’s faster and helps me keep focused
- There are 3 main characteristics of ADHD – hyperactive, impulsive, and inattentive
- You can have one or more of these characteristics 
- The characteristics have negative connotations 
- Yet, harnessed correctly, can be an asset to a business 
- Hyperactive - we have bags of energy so thrive in fast paced environments, and being across lots of jobs with varying deadlines 
- Impulsive – we jump right in and can make decisions quickly 
- Inattentive – we’ll find the quickest / easiest route to solving problems  
- Results driven - if a task doesn’t give me a hit of dopamine then that’s it, you’ve lost me
- I need efficiency – so no small talk or meetings over 30mins without an agenda / goal
- Heightened justice sensitivity – we are drawn to companies / people with good values 
- Finding that professional sweet spot often takes years of test and learn
- As a result, our career paths don’t tend to follow a traditional trajectory 
- If you didn’t know someone has ADHD, then that’s most likely due to their skill in ‘masking’
- Masking is censoring my response to a situation
- Masking everything requires a large amount of energy and concentration 
- I’d liken the feeling to trying to stop yourself from sneezing
- Long periods of time masking results in physical burn out 
- Warning signs for burn out – disassociation, low energy, inability to ‘mask’ 
- Just getting to our desks in the morning is a challenge 
- Environments with lots of noise & visuals stimulates our flight or fight response
- To manage, I take prescribed amphetamines to feel calm, and use noise cancellation earphones 
- Working flexibly, like for many people, has changed my life 
- Pre-pandemic, and 5 days in the office, would mean I couldn’t physically move at weekends
- I have a tendency to be to the point, interrupt or say something controversial
- Whilst my communication style over the years has provided some great anecdotes, if a thought pops into my head and I don’t say it then and there, it will be lost to a million other thoughts
- Non-neurotypicals need to be able to engage authentically in the workplace
- More companies are seeing the advantages of hiring diverse talent 
- More diversity = more innovation and less groupthink 
- Which results in better work, happier staff, and who can forget - clients 


This Neurodiversity Celebration Week, hear from our Creative Services Director, Jess Pritchard, about life at work with ADHD. 

It’s fitting for LGBT+ History Month to centre around the theme ‘Behind The Lens’ just as awards season kicks off. Already, The Academy Awards are proving to be a point of contention with the lack of female directors nominated, the absence of Jordan Peele’s Nope, and the fact that Elvis was nominated for best editing (how?). However, the Best Picture category has, in recent years, flourished with LGBT+ cinema being nominated for the coveted award. Previous nominees have included Moonlight in 2016, Call Me By Your Name in 2017, The Favourite in 2018, and The Power of the Dog in 2021. 

2023 is no exception. Both Everything Everywhere All at Once and Tár have been nominated for Best Picture, and both include lesbian characters in prominent, well written roles which have earned the actresses - Stephanie Hsu and Cate Blanchette - nominations in the acting categories too. 

What’s striking here is how different the characters and stories are. 

![LGBT blog picture one](//images.ctfassets.net/sxw14dxmazhg/2xXeFbkQvy6fRHYWOXmE4H/0fb2680d5c01c0f8993333e0dd497280/LGBT_blog_picture_one.jpg)

Everything Everywhere All at Once spans across science fiction, comedy, and bittersweet meditations on generational trauma and Chinese diaspora to create an intricate portrait of a mother daughter relationship on the brink. One of the barriers that Joy (Hsu’s character) and Evelyn (her mother, played by Michelle Yeoh) face is Joy’s sexuality, something Evelyn is tolerant of but not entirely supportive of either. Despite Joy’s request for her girlfriend to be introduced as her partner, Evelyn simply refers to her as Joy’s friend, which puts further distance between the two. The extent of her apathy is revealed when she first meets Jobu Tupaki, another version of her daughter, whom she blames her for Joy’s sexuality. Jobu treats with a mix of disbelief and pity, saying “You’re still hung up on the fact that I like girls in this world?” It’s a fair question, especially given that the film ventures across parallel universes and Evelyn is forced to confront bigger issues than her daughter’s queerness or sorting out her taxes.

Perhaps what really helps Evelyn understand the pain Joy feels when her sexuality is dismissed comes when Evelyn finds herself in a universe where she is in a lesbian relationship with Deidre (introduced to us as an IRS inspector, and played by Jamie Lee Curtis). Ignoring the fact that the universe also features everyone having hot dogs for fingers (just go with it), the established relationship between the two illustrates to Evelyn that Joy’s queerness isn’t a phase, but is an inherent part of her. The love Joy holds for her girlfriend isn’t trivial, but is deep and meaningful and deserves to be fully acknowledged and celebrated. 

The film may journey to bizarre places with raccoon chefs, martial arts featuring a fanny pack, and nihilistic bagels, but it’s also a story about a mother and daughter connecting and accepting one another, and queerness is an intrinsic part of this.

![LGBT blog picture two](//images.ctfassets.net/sxw14dxmazhg/P1ASiptTgQ3Tj1OeW1l0p/225eb5801b48e51a16af12effa2836d9/LGBT_blog_picture_two.jpg)

In complete contrast comes Tár. A psychological drama that examines the fall of fictional composer, Lydia Tár, after she is revealed to be exchanging career advancement with sexual favours from young musicians and conductors. Lydia seems to constantly have to confront ideas of gender and sexuality throughout the film. Her disdain for the gendered term ‘maestra’ is seemingly more contemporary; she says ‘I don't want to self-identify via my sexuality or my gender first and foremost, in the way that men don't necessarily have to within the traditional confines of the classical music world’. We see the way Lydia presents in more masculine aligned clothing, often opting to wear shirts and slacks as an extension of this sentiment. Even when it comes time to pick the cover of a live recording album, she rejects the more suggestive options featuring women for one more classical and male in nature. She refuses to be placed in a box and strives for talent and music to be noticed first, instead of her gender or sexuality. 

However, despite shattering the classical music glass ceiling, Lydia also reveals herself to be calculating and manipulative. Her assistant is hinted at being a past lover, however because she’s useful, Lydia passes on her for promotions where she could pursue her career as a conductor, to instead keep her as her assistant. The absent but ever present Krista Taylor, a student-turned-lover-turned-spurned-ex, haunts Lydia’s every step after she torpedoes Krista’s career. When Olga, a young cello player joins the orchestra, Lydia once again follows her pattern of getting close to Olga in the hopes of having an affair. Time and time again, we watch as Lydia repeats her transgressions until finally it catches up with her; a parallel of the #MeToo movement plays out in front of us with a twist on the abuser. 

LGBT+ cinema has seen itself originate in queer coded characters and stereotypes, but this year’s Best Picture category is truly a testament to changing times. Yes, there is always work to do to progress the movement and the representation we see on screen, but I would say that we’re seeing a turning point in the kinds of representation we see. We can still expect to see gay characters in films being portrayed as the sassy sidekick or be victims to the ‘bury your gays’ tropes or be paraded as heterosexual even though they’re clearly not (Top Gun: Maverick, I’m looking at you). But we can also have hope for more complex, well written, queer characters. There is still appetite for a variety of stories to be told with gay characters at the forefront, and for it to be recognised by the Academy is a step in the right direction. Personally, I’m excited that we get to see LGBT+ cinema stretch beyond what is expected of it and deliver exceptional film.  


LGBT+ history month centres around the them of ‘Behing the Lens’. Teamspirit’s very own film crticic Sofia Cerchiai takes a look at how this intertwines with the nominations for Best Film at the 2023 Oscars and marks a testament to changing times

Understanding ADHD at work

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