As we continue to celebrate Disability History Month, we’re sharing more inspiring stories from colleagues across the college. These conversations highlight the importance of inclusion, understanding, and the small changes that make a big difference in creating a workplace where everyone can thrive.
Take a look at Inclusion Lead Liz Mathews's interview below.
What does Disability History Month mean to you, and why is it important to recognise it in the workplace?
Disability History Month is more than a date on the calendar, it’s an opportunity to reflect, learn, and celebrate the diversity that strengthens our workplace. Inclusion isn’t just about meeting accessibility needs; it’s about creating spaces where everyone feels seen, heard, and valued.
Disability History Month gives me the opportunity to reflect on my own journey with dyslexia and neurodiversity, and how different stages of life, particularly perimenopause, can add new layers to that experience. I’m not an expert on perimenopause, but through lived experience and personal research, I’ve learned how hormonal changes can intensify cognitive differences that many neurodivergent people already navigate.
A big part of why this month matters to me is because I want to raise awareness, yet I’ve found it incredibly hard to find the right words. These experiences are deeply personal, and talking about dyslexia alongside perimenopausal cognitive changes can feel exposing. But I’ve realised that staying silent doesn’t help anyone, especially when so many people go through similar things without recognising the signs or knowing where to turn.
Research shows that during perimenopause, changes in oestrogen affect brain regions responsible for memory, focus, and processing. This can heighten:
- Brain fog and memory lapses
- Slower processing speed
- Difficulties with attention and executive functioning
- Increased stress responses, affecting verbal expression and information processing
For some women, this stage of life is the first time neurodivergence becomes visible enough to be recognised, not because it suddenly appears, but because coping strategies that worked previously aren’t as effective.
Raising awareness during Disability History Month helps create empathy, reduce stigma, and normalise conversations about these intersections. It encourages environments where people feel able to share their experiences without fear or embarrassment, something I’m learning to do myself.
How has being part of the Enabled Café impacted your experience at the college?
The Enabled Café is an inclusive space for colleagues with all types of disabilities: visible, hidden, and neurodivergent. It’s more than a meeting point; it’s a community where people can share experiences, access resources, and feel confident in being themselves. By fostering openness and respect, the Café helps colleagues thrive, not just cope.
This space reminds us that disability is not a limitation; it’s part of the diversity that drives creativity and innovation. When we share our experiences, we build empathy, understanding, and a culture of true inclusion.
Dyslexia and other neurodivergent conditions bring unique strengths that enrich teams and organisations. These include:
- Imagination and curiosity: Exploring new ideas and thinking beyond conventional boundaries.
- Seeing the bigger picture: Connecting patterns and solving complex problems.
- Entrepreneurial thinking: Innovating and linking concepts in creative ways.
- Critical reasoning: Applying strong analytical skills and logical decision-making.
- Empathy and communication: Building relationships and engaging in meaningful conversations.
These qualities don’t just benefit individuals; they spark innovation and collaboration across the workplace. When we recognise and build on these strengths, inclusion becomes a driver of progress.
What kind of support have you received from the college that has made a difference for you?
Creating inclusive environments means more than adjustments, it’s about valuing lived experience as insight, encouraging curiosity, and normalising conversations about disability and neurodiversity. Practical steps like flexible working, sensory tools, and alternative formats make a real difference, but the biggest impact comes from a culture of understanding.
My message is that you don’t need to be an expert to support someone, just be willing to listen. Disabilities and neurodivergent traits aren’t barriers; they’re different ways of experiencing the world. When we replace stigma with understanding, everyone has the opportunity to thrive.
The support from the college and my line managers has been thoughtful, practical, and grounded in both research and genuine care. They have listened to my experiences and made adjustments that positively impact my daily wellbeing and performance.
The support I’ve received at Nottingham College goes beyond adjustments. It enables me to work in ways that build on my strengths and manage cognitive demands effectively. Some of the most helpful strategies include:
- Regular check-ins with my manager to review workload and wellbeing, helping me stay focused and avoid overwhelm.
- Walking breaks to clear the mind, especially at lunchtime, as research shows exercise improves cognitive function and supports hormonal regulation.
- Noise-cancelling headphones for those times when the staffroom or shared spaces are very noisy, allowing me to concentrate without sensory overload.
- OneNote for organising ideas and workflows, making it easy to structure my thinking and share plans with my manager quickly.
- Teams for sharing visuals and flowcharts, ensuring I can communicate complex ideas in formats that suit my dyslexic processing style.
- Time to process large amounts of text, and the ability to draft and refine content using Copilot (for non-sensitive information), which helps me focus on meaning rather than mechanics.
These strategies have made a significant difference, not just helping me cope but enabling me to thrive by using the creativity, big-picture thinking, and empathy that dyslexia brings.
What challenges do people with disabilities or neurodiverse conditions still face in the workplace, and how can we address them?
Many people still face challenges, and one of the biggest barriers is social stigma, particularly around hidden disabilities such as dyslexia. Too often, conversations about neurodiversity focus on what needs to be “fixed” rather than what can be celebrated. Dyslexia isn’t a deficit, it’s a different way of thinking that brings unique strengths to the workplace, including creativity, big-picture thinking, and problem-solving.
Life transitions, such as menopause, can add another layer to this experience. Hormonal changes during perimenopause can affect memory, focus, and processing speed, sometimes making existing neurodivergent traits more visible or harder to manage. This doesn’t mean new challenges define us; it means workplaces need to understand how these factors intersect and provide support that enables people to thrive.
Research shows stigma is the main reason people hesitate to talk about these issues at work, often feeling they are “too private” or worrying about being judged. Breaking that silence matters. When we normalise conversations about dyslexia, neurodiversity, and cognitive health, we create environments where people feel safe to share their experiences and strengths.
I recently read a great article from the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) that summed this up perfectly:
“Forgive yourself a little bit, because nobody’s an expert in menopause, and especially the co-occurrence with hormonal changes when they start this journey. Just listen to people, start the conversation and go from there.”
This message really resonated with me because it highlights something simple yet powerful: we don’t need to have all the answers to support colleagues. What matters most is creating space for open conversations and listening without judgment. That’s how inclusion moves from theory into practice.
We can address these challenges by encouraging openness and curiosity, normalising conversations about cognitive health, neurodiversity, and menopause, and providing adjustments (i.e. sensory tools, movement breaks, and flexible ways of working), as well as valuing lived experience as meaningful insight.
When stigma is replaced with understanding, people feel safe to seek support early, and that benefits everyone.
How does inclusion – feeling seen, heard, and valued – affect your ability to thrive at work?
Inclusion has a powerful impact on my confidence, wellbeing, and ability to perform at my best. When I feel understood and supported, I can use strategies that genuinely work with my dyslexic and neurodivergent thinking styles, as well as the cognitive fluctuations linked to perimenopause.
Feeling included means that the practical adjustments around me are not only accepted but encouraged.
Examples of these adjustments are:
- Using different formats to receive and convey information, which helps me process more effectively.
- Teams recordings, which are invaluable, I can revisit discussions, check details, and process information at my own pace.
- Organising ideas in OneNote, especially during meetings and training sessions, where colour coding and visual layout help structure my thinking.
- Using Copilot to summarise key points or distil complex information so I can focus on meaning rather than the mechanics of notetaking.
- Highlighter tools (in OneNote and PowerPoint for the web), which help me track, emphasise, and remember important information.
- Memory supports, such as digital calendars, phone alerts, OneNote reminders, and even physical wall planners.
All these adjustments, big and small, make me feel valued as an individual. They allow me to contribute fully without masking or struggling in silence.
Inclusion, for me, isn’t just an abstract concept. It’s the everyday experience of having the tools, time, and understanding I need to thrive.
If you could share one message with colleagues about disability and inclusion, what would it be?
You don’t need to be an expert to support someone. Just be willing to listen.
Dyslexia, neurodiversity, and perimenopausal symptoms aren’t barriers, they are simply different ways of experiencing the world. More people are held back by stigma than by the challenges themselves. When we create a culture where people feel safe, understood, and valued, everyone has the opportunity to thrive.
