UCAR

NaN logo with spectrum and octopusMission

NaN - Neurodiversity at NSF NCAR, UCAR, and UCP - is an ERG that aims to provide a space for neurodivergent staff, family of neurodivergent individuals, and neurotypical allies to connect, find community, share resources, learn, and support one another.

Goals

  • Increase individual and organizational awareness and understanding of neurodiversity.
  • Advocate for the needs of neurodivergent staff, colleagues, and visitors.
  • Normalize conversations about neurodiversity, mental health, and disability accommodations. 
  • Provide a social space where members feel less pressure to “mask” neurodivergent behaviors. 
  • Promote an organizational culture where people feel they can be themselves at work.
  • Continue to evolve our purpose and objectives as the knowledge and understanding of neurodivergence and related issues evolve.

How to Participate

Membership is available to all current and former employees (interns, term, casual, visitors, and full) who identify as neurodivergent or desire to support those who do.

What is Neurodiversity?

  • Neurodiversity is the idea that it’s normal for people to have brains that work differently from one another, and that variations in cognition and mental function are generally just differences, not deficits.
  • Discrete labels for “neurotypes,” such as ADHD, anxiety, autism, dyslexia, and OCD, help describe common experiences and patterns, but in truth, there are no distinct boundaries between neurotypes; we all fall somewhere on a big nonlinear multidimensional spectrum.

Neurodivergent Spectrum with points indicating neurotypical, what society expects and supports, correlated mental health issue, divergent neurotype, experiential disorder (trauma), developmental disability, and social disability (lack of accommodation)