An Insider’s Look at Aspiritech’s Mission in Action

We like to say that we’re an accommodating workplace, but that doesn’t quite capture the breadth of what we try to do on a regular basis. Lots of places speak of accommodations as some nebulous idea and balk when they’re actually asked to do the work. Here, beginning with our interview process, we identify and document accommodation requests and work with our employees to implement them in ways that make sense.

We do the easy stuff, like providing headphones when asked, refraining from wearing strong scents, and spacing workstations far enough apart that physical proximity isn’t an issue. But we also honor accommodations such as requests to hold meetings over Slack, providing written documentation when asked, and working with employees’ preferred learning and expression styles.

We provide two 15-minute breaks a day, in addition to a 30-minute lunch, for employees to spend as they choose. We have a dedicated, updated quiet room in the office where our staff can disconnect, nap, or utilize if any degree of sensory overload occurs. We provide the ultimate accommodation—a virtual or hybrid work model. Unless a project demands in-person attendance, every single employee is given the option to work remotely if they prefer. I’ve never seen a request for accommodations be ignored or turned down. 

We see the impact of our work every day. I’m fond of saying that I think every office, whether it knowingly caters to neurodivergent individuals or not (in which case… I’ve got news for you), should have a support team on hand. There are tons of stressors out there, and the opportunity to confront and move through them, guided by a professional, is something I wish I’d had access to at other jobs.

While our employees are genuinely some of the strongest and most resilient folks I’ve ever worked with, a lot of them have been put through the wringer—whether it’s a bad on-the-job experience, bullying, a late diagnosis and humiliating or painful treatments prior to that, a general sense of not belonging, or the many co-occurring conditions present in so many autistic humans (depression, anxiety, OCD, ADHD—the list goes on and on).

A validating presence, available to them at their leisure and on their terms, has quite literally saved lives. Alongside our incredible team members and a deeply compassionate leadership team, we’ve built something great, and I’m proud to be employed here.

Robin Kacyn
Director of Inclusion and Outreach
Aspiritech, NFP