The information below is designed to help you decide what you might want to share and how to highlight your strengths.
You may choose to talk about your disability or neurodivergence at any stage of the recruitment process or once in a role. This page offers examples to help you describe your experience, the impact it may have, and the strengths you bring.
General tips
- Provide clear, relevant information - employers may not be familiar with your specific disability or neurodivergence. Brief, jargon free explanations help them understand what you need and how they can support you.
- Explain factors that influence your experience - many conditions can be affected by tiredness, stress, or anxiety. If this is true for you, it can be useful to mention this so an employer understands the context.
- Reassure where appropriate - you may want to emphasise that your disability or neurodivergence is not related to ability or intelligence, and that its impact varies from person to person.
- Highlight your strengths - your experiences can equip you with valuable capabilities. Below are examples to help you identify strengths you may wish to highlight.
Neurodivergent conditions
- ADHD
- Autism / autistic spectrum
- Dyscalculia
- Dyslexia
- Dyspraxia
- Tourette鈥檚 syndrome
- Physical disabilities
- Deaf / hearing impairment
- Blind / visual impairment
Example explanation:
I have a neurological condition that can sometimes affect concentration, physical restlessness, and impulsivity
Strengths you may wish to highlight:
- Quick reactions
- High levels of energy
- Ability to improvise under pressure
- Strong awareness of the environment
- Sociability and confident communication
- Creative thinking
- Motivation to start new projects
- Intense focus on tasks that are engaging
- Independence and clarity about personal preferences
Example explanation:
I have a neurodivergent condition that can affect the way I communicate and interact with others
Strengths you may wish to highlight:
- Ability to focus deeply on tasks, leading to strong productivity in areas of interest
- Excellent memory and detailed factual knowledge
- Logical, structured approaches to problem solving
- Attention to detail and persistence, including spotting errors others may miss
- Reliability, conscientiousness, and integrity
- Specialist skills or technical interests (e.g., IT or data focused work)
- Resourcefulness developed through navigating challenges
- Strong analytical or verbal skills
Example explanation:
I have a neurodivergent condition that mainly affects working with numbers, number concepts, and numerical procedures
Strengths you may wish to highlight:
- Strong creative thinking
- Original problem solving approaches
- Ability to see the “big picture”
- Making connections others may not spot
- Lateral thinking and innovation
- Confidence with words and language
- Practical ability
Example explanation:
I have a neurodivergent condition that affects reading, writing, spelling and sometimes working with numbers. It influences the way I process information
Strengths you may wish to highlight:
- Strong visual thinking
- Ability to think on your feet
- Creativity and idea generation
- Innovative problem solving
- Seeing patterns and the “big picture”
- Making original or unexpected connections
- Visual spatial strengths
- Three dimensional thinking
- Lateral thinking
- Strong troubleshooting ability
- Effective verbal communication
Example explanation:
I have a neurodivergent condition that can affect coordination, and may also influence organisation, memory, concentration, and speech
Strengths you may wish to highlight:
- Strong creative thinking
- Originality and unique perspectives
- Ability to generate solutions beyond conventional approaches
- Strategic thinking
- Determination and persistence
- High levels of motivation
- Strong problem solving skills
Example explanation:
I have a neurological condition that can cause involuntary sounds and movements called tics
Strengths you may wish to highlight:
- High levels of concentration
- Determination and focus
- Strong willpower and self control
- Resilience and ability to cope with setbacks
- Resourcefulness
Example explanation:
I have a physical disability that affects my mobility and/or dexterity. This may influence the way I move around a workspace or use certain equipment, and I may require adjustments to ensure full accessibility
Strengths you may wish to highlight:
- Strong problem solving skills developed through navigating inaccessible environments
- Resilience and adaptability
- Effective planning and organisation
- Creative approaches to overcoming challenges
- Empathy and strong interpersonal skills
- Ability to assess systems and processes through an accessibility lens
- Determination and persistence
Example explanation:
I have a hearing impairment that affects the way I receive spoken information. I may use assistive technology, lip reading, or alternative communication formats
Strengths you may wish to highlight:
- Excellent concentration and attention to detail
- Strong visual awareness and observation skills
- Clear, intentional communication
- High levels of focus in written work
- Ability to adapt quickly to communication challenges
- Effective non verbal communication skills
- Experience working proactively to avoid miscommunication
Example explanation:
I have a visual impairment that affects the way I access printed or visual information. I may use screen reading software, magnification tools, or alternative text formats
Strengths you may wish to highlight:
- Advanced listening skills
- Strong memory, pattern recognition, and information recall
- Ability to understand complex verbal instructions
- Proficiency with accessible technology and adaptive tools
- Creative problem solving and adaptability
- High levels of concentration
- Strong analytical or auditory processing skills