“Disabled and neurodivergent individuals continue to face structural, cultural, and practical barriers in science and engineering workplaces across the UK. To better understand these challenges – and identify positive practice – the DICE project brought together insights from 48 participants across eight UK science and engineering organisations, including large corporations and SMEs. Through one-to-one interviews with employees with lived experience and people managers, this research identifies key themes around disability inclusion, accessibility, and the role of leadership in creating inclusive environments.

“Common issues included limited understanding of neurodiversity, lack of confidence among managers, inaccessible recruitment processes (inaccessible in terms of disabled and neurodivergent candidates put at a disadvantage through, e.g. selection interviews or tests), and overreliance on individuals with lived experience to drive change. However, the findings also highlighted enablers such as flexible working, inclusion initiatives, and network groups.” Executive Summary

Citation: Wedgwood, B, Sang, K, Watson, F, Richards, J & Barker, G 2025, Disability Inclusive Careers in Engineering and Science: Improving workplace support for disabled and neurodivergent engineers and scientists in the UK. Heriot-Watt University. https://doi.org/10.17861/2a82-2a10

Sector Level Recommendations

Based on the common themes identified across all participating organisations, we suggest the following priorities for improving disability and neurodiversity inclusion in science and engineering workplaces:

1. Build Disability Awareness into Everyday Learning Incorporate lived experience stories and real-world scenarios into training for all staff, especially line managers.

2. Make Workplace Adjustments Easy and Standardised Normalise the adjustments process and ensure it’s proactive, accessible, and not entirely dependent on individual advocacy.

3. Strengthen Manager Confidence and Skills Provide targeted training for line managers focused on inclusive leadership, people management, and supporting disabled and neurodivergent staff. Prioritise equipping new and first-time managers with the training, tools, and confidence to create supportive team environments from the outset.

4. Rethink Traditional Recruitment Approaches Introduce greater flexibility in how candidates demonstrate their skills and potential. Reduce reliance on fast-paced, hypothetical verbal assessments by offering alternative formats – such as practical tasks, written or video responses, or adjusted interview settings – to better accommodate neurodivergent applicants.

5. Recognise and Support Network Contributions Actively value and resource the work of employee networks. Ensure these groups are supported by HR and leadership, rather than being solely driven by volunteers. Where employees take on significant responsibilities alongside their core roles – such as writing policies or delivering training – to advance accessibility and inclusion, consider offering protected time during working hours or time in lieu. Avoid over-reliance on lived experience groups: while their insights are vital, it is the organisation’s responsibility to lead and embed structural support.

6. Simplify Access to Internal Support Create clear, centralised hubs or intranet spaces where staff and managers can find guidance, contacts, and reasonable adjustment info easily.