Neurodiversity Pride Day is the annual pride day on June 16 for neurodivergent people and those who love us. This year, it is being celebrated for the 7th time, in twelve countries around the world. The first time in Belgium.

What Do We Celebrate?

The uniqueness of our neurodivergent brains and the added value of neurodiversity in society. The term neurodiversity refers to the different ways in which brains function, perceive, and understand the world. It recognizes and appreciates the strengths and abilities that arise from different neurotypes. People with autism, ADHD, dyslexia, DCD, gifted individuals, etc., all possess unique qualities and, in their diversity, make the world a better place. Additionally, it advocates for providing support and accommodations to neurodivergent individuals so they can function in a society that is tailored to the majority.

Organizers

ND Pride Belgium is organized by Bjièn, iDrops, en ADHD,ASC&LD en de Neurodiversity Foundation. 

About ND Pride

Neurodiversity Pride Day was started in 2018 by the Neurodiversity Foundation, initiated by the neurodivergent community itself in collaboration with volunteers and supporting organizations. Over the years, the day has grown increasingly larger. It is a beautiful, positive day where we highlight the good aspects of neurodiversity and neurodivergence. The core of the day is for neurodivergent people to take a moment to reflect positively on themselves, making it an annual tradition. Activities are organized around this core.

We warmly invite you to join in the celebration!

We celebrate ND Pride Belgium with:

– An online program featuring Belgian and international speakers. This online program consists of an online meeting space, interesting keynotes (in Dutch and English), and an ArtExpo by neurodivergent artists. Our keynote speakers are:

• Daphné De Troch (Bjièn)
• Lora-Elly Vannieuwenhuysen
• Magali De Reu
• Nathalie Goethals (Inclusively Wired – IDROPS)
• Eline Jammaers (UHasselt)
• International keynote

– A Neurodiversity Pride Day flag hoisting in the city of Gent. The flagpole is in front of the building on the Henri Dunant Avenue at the faculty of psychology and educational sciences.

Both activities are free to attend, and this is your invitation. More information about the online program and the speakers, below.

SPEAKER: Lora-Elly Vannieuwenhuysen 

Towards a neurodiverse community

Duration: Circa 1 hour 

About Lora-Elly: Lora-Elly Vannieuwenhuysen (°1991) is a Belgian writer and artist with a passion for neurodiversity. She’s a professional expert in digital accessibility and runs a Dutch-language online self-help group for autistic individuals. 

About the Talk: For many, receiving an adult (self-)diagnosis is a life-changing event. Suddenly, everything makes sense, but you’re left with a flood of emotions and questions. Talking with fellow neurodivergent people can be incredibly helpful, but it might be difficult to access the neurodiversity community. 

Are you neurodivergent? Would you like to connect with our community? This lecture will give you an idea of what it’s like to build a social network after a (self-)diagnosis, why it’s important to do so, and how to get started. 

SPEAKER: Daphné De Troch

Neurodiversity at Work: The Added Value of Diverse Minds

Duration: 1 hour

About the Talk: In this talk, we delve deeper into neurodiversity and neuro-inclusion in the workplace. We will emphasize why paying attention to neurodiversity and neuro-inclusion at work is important and invaluable. Lastly, we will provide practical tools for how a company can ensure that everyone can fully utilize their talents at work.

What will you learn?

• What is neurodiversity, neurodivergence, and neuro-inclusion?
• What strengths are often seen in neurodivergent employees?
• What is the added value of neuro-inclusion and neurodiverse teams?
• What is needed for a neuro-inclusive workplace?

What can you expect?

A better understanding of why neurodiversity is invaluable within companies and teams, and how neurodivergent employees can be empowered at work.

About Daphne: Daphné De Troch learned to create a safe work environment for and lead a team of neurodivergent people after being diagnosed with ADHD and autism. She started Bjièn (pronounced like the French ‘bien’) together with Dietrich Moerman to help other leaders and teams become aware of neurodiversity and make their workplace neuro-inclusive.

SPEAKER: Magali De Reu 

About Magali: Magali De Reu is a Belgian entrepreneur, columnist, copywriter, speaker, and author. She is dedicated to raising awareness about neurodiversity, including autism and ADHD. She emphasizes that these neurotypes bring not only challenges but also unique advantages. Her books contain stories and insights that help in understanding and accepting neurodiversity. Magali encourages people to discover their own strengths, regardless of their neurological diversity. She believes that everyone can make valuable contributions to society and that it is important to accept and value oneself. Her work highlights the importance of mental health and seeking appropriate support. She shares strategies for coping with stress, psychological trauma, and other challenges, and encourages self-care and understanding.

SPEAKER: Nathalie Goethals  

About Nathalie: Nathalie Goethals is the director of iDROPS, an organization focused on creating communities, workshops, toolkits, and online platforms to connect people, enhance self-awareness, and promote behavior change in Ghent. Through Inclusively Wired, iDROPS is building an inclusive educational and work context that embraces neurodiversity.

She holds a degree in Japanese and has studied social and cultural anthropology. Nathalie is a “people person” and is known for speaking her mind.

She is eager to share the concept developed at iDROPS, based on 14 years of experience.

SPEAKER: Eline Jammaers

The (im)possibilities of a strength-based perspective of dyscalculia in the workplace

Duur: 15 minuten

Over Eline: Eline Jammaers is Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Business Economics, of Hasselt University. Her research deals with various forms of labour market inequality as experienced by waged workers and self-employed people with a range of disabilities, chronic illnesses and neurodivergent conditions. Through qualitative research methods she aims to understand how certain people become othered and what this means for their workplace experience. At the same time, she aims to uncover how working with a different bodymind can constitute an advantage in business.

About the Talk: In this brief presentation, dr. Jammaers will present a summary of her readings on the topic of dyscalculia in the workplace so far. In parallel with the “dyslexic thinking”/”made by dyslexia” movement on LinkedIn, she will ponder on the (im)possibilities of starting a similar positive movement related to dyscalculic thinking, supported by employers and celebrities worldwide.

• Korte bio van jezelf: 

Host & Presentor Online Program: Dietrich Moerman

Over Dietrich: Graduated in software engineering, Dietrich started working as a software developer and grew into roles of development team lead, project manager, ScrumMaster and consultant.

With a late diagnosis of ADHD and autism, Dietrich gradually discovered the strengths and challenges of being neurodivergent. He created a keynote in 2021 outlining the curious similarities between software teams and ADHD and how some principles can make life better for both.

After founding Bjièn with his partner, he now focuses on making companies and workplaces more neuroinclusive, putting his own experiences and learnings into practice and guiding leaders, HR professionals and teams to thrive with neurodiversity.

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