Mind the Gap: Embracing Neurodiversity [Virtual]
Explore how neurodiversity fuels tech innovation and inclusion with insights from experts and companies.
Contact Event Organiser
About this event
"Neurodiversity is not a disability to be fixed, but a variation of human experience to be understood and embraced."
Neurodivergent individuals contribute unique perspectives and skills, fostering creativity and innovation in technology development. This event will focus on embracing neurodiversity to expand the talent pool and enhance the development of inclusive, user-friendly tech products.
The panel consists of neurodiverse individuals who share their experience working in ICT and companies that do a good job of accommodating neurodiverse employees.
Topics to be covered:
- Workplace Accommodations
- Inclusive Hiring Practices
- Communication Strategies
- and Creating an Inclusive Work Environment.
Speakers
Sugandha (Sig) Chapman is a Senior Manager of Client Delivery at Inkling Group with nearly two decades of experience across Big 4 consulting, non-profit, startup, and tech industries. A passionate advocate and expert in diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB), she combines psychological science with commercial insight to drive long-term cultural change.
Sig has partnered with major companies like Coca-Cola, Woolworths, Adobe, Aurecon, and CBA, leading initiatives that foster diverse and inclusive cultures. At Inkling Group, she leads the D&I practice, using her consulting expertise, learning design, and executive coaching skills to support organisations to leverage diversity for innovation and competitive advantage.
Her work is deeply informed by her personal journey as a woman of colour and her late diagnosis of ADHD, challenging leaders to see diversity and inclusion as critical to business success. Sig is a trusted advisor and strategist, embedding DEIB into core company strategies.
Sig is also a sought-after keynote speaker on inclusion, leadership, neurodiversity, and professional wellbeing, and mentors future female leaders through initiatives like Future Women and in STEM. Her authentic, results-driven approach makes her a powerful voice for leaders committed to meaningful change.
Outside of work, Sig enjoys salt & vinegar chips, K-dramas, and has too many unread books on her nightstand.
Johanna is a dynamic leader with over 15 years of experience in the IT industry, specialising in empowering digital transformation across diverse sectors. As an Account Manager at Cisco, she is committed to fostering innovation and sustainability in Victoria's catholic education, utilities, and public sectors. Her rich background, spanning a Master of Science in Network Systems, an Electronic Engineering degree, and experience in both the Australian public sector and Colombian health sector, equips her with unique insights and a deep understanding of the importance of trusted advisory in strategy execution.
A proud Latina, neurodivergent individual, and mother, Johanna champions inclusivity and diversity in all its forms. She is passionate about creating environments where everyone feels a sense of belonging and is dedicated to lifelong learning, authenticity, and sharing knowledge. Her story is one of resilience, creativity, and unwavering commitment to making a positive impact.
Raza Nowrozy is a visionary leader in cybersecurity and the driving force behind Untapped’s Genius Armoury platform, which nurtures and elevates neurodivergent talent within the industry. As the Head of Cybersecurity and Untapped Talent, Raza excels in simplifying complex cybersecurity concepts, making them accessible and actionable for diverse audiences.
With a deep expertise in risk frameworks, cloud security, and incident management, he offers strategic insights that empower organisations to strengthen their security posture. Raza’s passion for inclusivity and neurodiversity fuels his mission to make cybersecurity education engaging and accessible to all, particularly those often overlooked in the tech industry.
|
Event Terms & Conditions
Registration
- Payment in full is required the time of booking in order for the registration to be valid.
- To avoid disappointment, ensure you pay for your booking(s) before the registration closing date. Anyone that has not received a confirmation email will not be on the event attendance list and therefore will not be admitted to the event.
- Online registration ends at the time stated on the event registration page.
Cancellation and Refund
All cancellations must be processed through the website, a refund will only be considered if it is at least 3 working days prior to the event.
Disclaimer
- ACS reserves the right to change the program at any time. Every effort will be made to ensure a program of equivalent standard and members are updated with changes.
- All dietary requirements are considered, however we cannot guarantee a 100% allergen free environment.
- ACS reserves the right to prohibit entry or eject any person from an ACS event based on behaviour deemed inappropriate by ACS staff, its agents and/or others working under its authority.
- Filming or streaming by attendees is not permitted. If an attendee is found to be doing so they will be asked to leave the event immediately and further action may be taken.
- Photography and/or filming may take place during this event, by accepting these terms you consent to this. Please let a member of ACS know if you do not want your picture taken.
COVID-19 Event Attendance Compliance
By registering to attend an ACS in person event you are agreeing to the below terms and conditions
- If an attendee is displaying flu or cold like symptoms in the days leading up to the event and therefore is not able to attend, ACS will refund the registration fee.
- If an attendee comes to an event and is displaying flu or cold like symptoms they will be asked to leave
- We ask all ACS members to respect the social distancing guidelines, if an attendee repeatedly disregards these guidelines, they may be asked to leave
- ACS reserves the right to cancel the event within 24 hours' notice if either the speaker or the event host has advised us that they are exhibiting flu or cold like symptoms
- All attendees must provide a valid phone number and email address to be contacted on if there is reason to notify about a possible COVID-19 exposure
Personal information collection notice
By registering for this event, you are providing personal information to the Australian Computer Society. In accordance with the ACS Privacy Policy, ACS collects personal information through registrations and attendances at its events for the purposes of:
- organising and providing the various professional development events held by the ACS (including for example, courses, conferences, seminars, workshops, launches);
- processing and managing event registrations (including catering for dietary requirements);
- maintaining event attendance records;
- contacting registered event guests with information in regard to the event and seeking post-event feedback;
- communicating with you to in relation to future events or ACS products, courses, services, promotions or other products or services that ACS reasonably thinks may be of interest to attendees;
- processing and responding to attendee inquiries; and
- conducting research to improve its events and better understanding needs.
If the required information is not provided, we or any involved third parties, may not be able to respond to you, update you, or provide appropriate services or events to you.
We may obtain personal information directly from you or from someone who registers for the event on your behalf. If you provide us with personal information about another person, you must do so only with their consent and agree to make them aware of this privacy notice.
ACS may share your personal information with third parties for the collection purposes noted above or as set out in our Privacy Policy, where it is reasonably necessary for, or directly related to, one or more of our activities, or required by law.
When you register to participate in an overseas event, we may send personal information we collect overseas.
See our Privacy Policy at https://www.acs.org.au/privacy-policy.html for more information about our privacy practices.