Intersectional Neurodiversity and Disability Reading Groups

I organise and facilitate the Intersectional Neurodiversity and Disability Reading Groups. They run in various forms.

Initially the reading groups were very broadly about neurodiversity and disability, increasingly with an intersectional focus. They continue to have an intersectional emphasis, and will offer readings from disability, neurodiversity, sick, mad and adjacent studies, but the reading groups now will revolve around a more specific theme (currently ‘eco-ability’ and ‘pedagogy’). At times there are also spin-off events (scroll to the bottom).

  • Initially the Intersectional Neurodiversity RG met in person in London (UK), with dinner afterwards (people travelled from far!), but the Disability RG always met online. Since the pandemic, they are all online. And since the audience is now very international, this will remain the case.
  • All reading group meetings take place on either the 1st or the 3rd Friday of the month, 3-4.30pm UK.

Currently in 2025, the Eco-Ability Reading Group runs on the 1st Friday of the month. And the Cripping Pedagogy Reading Group runs on the 3rd Friday of the month. Always 3-4.30pm UK.

Till Dec 2024, the ADHD Reading Group ran (both 1st & 3rd Fri. Once the special issue ‘Critical and Intersectional ADHD Thought: ADHDers Think Back’ (CJDS) has been published, I might revive it to use the publications for conversation.

Before this, the Intersectional Neurodiversity Reading Group (3rd Fri, 2019-2022) and the Intersectional/Feminist Disability Reading Group (1st Fri, 2020-2022) ran. In the middle (2021) there was also a brief trial of the Pain & Distress Reading Group.

Reading Group schedules & reading lists / archive

You can find current reading lists and schedules as well as the archive of prior reading groups on their respective pages (see below). Some people have found these useful resources.

Accessibility and inclusivity

The reading groups are neurodivergent-led and disabled-led (i.e. I – Dyi – am an ADHDer and otherwise disabled) and they are organised with the objective to make them as accessible and inclusive to neurodivergent and disabled participants as possible, and to make accessibility and inclusivity norm – not exception.

For instance, as a busy chat makes meetings inaccessible for screen readers, the public chat function is disabled. A busy chat also makes it difficult for neurodivergent folks to concentrate; on the other hand, not everyone likes to or can contribute by voice. So participants can choose to vocalise their contributions and/or write them in the chat to the facilitator (me) and I will read the contribution out loud – both are welcome. At the same time, not everyone wants to actively contribute, and that is fine too. As long as I know who is attending, people can have their camera on/off and participate as much/little as they wish.

At the same time, a meeting is neither accessible nor inclusive if other inequalities and power dynamics are not considered – i.e. if disability and neurodiversity are not considered intersectionally.

So social justice in all its forms is central to the facilitation. Inclusively, participants are expected to consider (their) privilege too.

For more details, see the ground rules page and the facilitation & accessibility page. Agreement with both is a requirement for attendance.

Spin-offs

Sometimes spin-off events are organised, such as two large webinars and a research project:

  • The flipped webinar Intersectional Approaches to Disability and Race: this ​consisted of blog posts (online since 1 July) and the online Q&A panels took place 9 July 2021.

About: Dr Dyi Huijg is a Leverhulme Early Career Fellow at the University of Roehampton. Her research focusses on ADHD women and intersectional injustice, intersectional agency and more. Continue reading ....

Dr Dyi Dieuwertje Huijg