Neurodiversity Project Phase 2: Decision Made to Hold Neurodiversity Training!

The “Neurodiversity Project,” launched with the goal of realizing a “neurodiversity” society that respects the diversity of human brains and nervous systems and enables each individual to express their unique “strengths,” will begin offering “Neurodiversity Training” starting this April.Through three curriculum components—learning, experiencing, and creating—this training program encourages participants to understand different perspectives and respect diverse ways of perceiving the world, thereby contributing to the realization of a neurodiversity society.

We hope you'll join us.

■Press Release

https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000000005.000126992.html

■Special Website

https://neuro-diversity.world/training/

■ Registration

https://peatix.com/event/3866614/view

[Neurodiversity Training Consists of Learning, Experiencing, and Creating]

<Learn>

Through an introduction to neurodiversity, trends in Japan and abroad, and case studies of innovations born from diverse organizations, students will learn about a society that respects neurodiversity.

<Experience>

We’ll use technology to experience the diversity of our senses.

In the first training session, we will focus on visual diversity and welcome Dr. Shie Nagai, Specially Appointed Professor at the International Institute for Neurointelligence at the University of Tokyo, as our guest lecturer to explore from multiple perspectives how people with ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) perceive the world.

The “ASD Perceptual Experience Simulator,” developed by Professor Nagai in collaboration with Professor Shinichiro Kumagai (Center for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Tokyo), an expert in self-advocacy research on developmental disorders, allows users to experience the atypical visual world of individuals with ASD using a head-mounted display device.This simulator replicates symptoms known as visual hypersensitivity and visual hyposensitivity, offering users the opportunity to experience how the world appears to people with ASD in environments with varying levels of brightness and sound intensity.

<Create>

With an understanding of diversity, we will explore concrete actions we can take to create a neurodiverse society. We will hold an ideathon where participants will proactively consider “what kind of environment we should create” and “what kind of society we should build.”

[Planned Curriculum Expansion]

Moving forward, we plan to expand our training programs to focus not only on sight but also on the diversity of the five senses—including hearing, touch, and taste—as part of our curriculum. Through this ongoing, multifaceted approach, we will continue to provide participants with opportunities to engage with the sensory experiences of people with diverse characteristics through a variety of lectures and hands-on activities, fostering a deeper understanding.

Through neurodiversity training, we will deepen our understanding of neurodiversity, promote and embed this concept both within and outside the organization, and contribute to building an organizational culture where diversity is respected and harnessed.

We provide opportunities for people to learn how technological solutions can complement and enhance individual brain function and physical capabilities, and how redesigning the environment—including physical spaces, social institutions, and customs—from a Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) perspective can alleviate the challenges of daily life.

Through this, we aim to build a society where everyone respects one another’s individual characteristics and works together, enabling each person to fully realize their potential in their own way.