Participating in scientific conferences, especially in large events such as the EGU General Assembly (GA), comes with specific challenges for neurodivergent attendees. The term “neurodivergent” describes individuals who think and experience the world in ways that differ from societal norms, including, for example (but not limited to) autistic, ADHD, dyslexic, or dyspraxic individuals. Current estimates indicate that about 15-20% of the global population could be neurodivergent. This amounts to about 3000-4000 individuals among the 20,000 yearly attendees of the EGU GA. Many neurodivergent people have heightened sensory sensitivities, executive function and communication challenges, amongst others, which come along with specific needs when attending a conference. Some have developed their own strategies (consciously or not) to be able to participate and engage in conferences, which often come at the cost of exhaustion, while others forgo participating in some events entirely due to a lack of accommodations and adequate settings. In 2024, the introduction of a lanyard that indicates a hidden disability has been a first step towards creating a safer atmosphere for neurodivergent attendees. The aim of this short course, organised for the first time at EGU25, is to provide a space to share experiences between neurodivergent scientists, identify challenges and ways to cope with them, and discuss ideas and tools to improve their experience during the EGU GA, through short talks from neurodivergent peers, discussions amongst participants, and an opportunity to provide feedback to EGU regarding improvements.
The course is targeted at both first-time attendees and more seasoned participants who identify as neurodivergent, but also to all participants who would like to better support their neurodivergent peers