NeurodiversAtSea, the seafarers’ neurodiversity charity, has today launched its first annual Neurodiversity Benchmark Survey. It is the first attempt to measure how many people in the maritime industry are neurodivergent, what their working lives are like, and what the industry stands to gain by getting this right.
Neurodivergence covers conditions such as autism, ADHD, dyslexia and dyspraxia. Around one in seven people in the UK are thought to be neurodivergent, which means almost every ship’s crew includes someone who is. Yet there is very little data about neurodivergent people at sea: how many there are, where they work, whether they have told anyone, and what helps or hinders them. Without that evidence, it is hard for employers to know where to start, and easy for the issue to be overlooked.
The survey sets out to change that.
The survey is the first of its kind. It will identify the range and depth of neurodiversity in our profession and the challenges faced by neurodivergent seafarers. Uniquely, it will identify the scope of the opportunity to leverage neurodivergence within the industry.
Dan calls that opportunity “the neurodivergent advantage”. Many of the strengths associated with neurodivergence, such as sustained focus, attention to detail, pattern spotting and calm under pressure, are exactly the qualities that life at sea demands. The aim is not only to remove barriers, but to help the industry recognise and make use of talent it already has.
From evidence to a strategy
The results will feed into an industry strategy, due to be published in the new year and based on a corporate commitment from maritime employers. It is intended to give employers an actionable toolkit: practical methods and policies for managers ashore and at sea, grounded in evidence and good practice, and with metrics so that progress can be measured.
Neurodiversity strategies are already well established in other sectors. Leading institutions in the City of London have begun to quantify the benefits of neurodiverse workforces, including reports of nearly 50% higher productivity per neurodivergent worker. Maritime has not yet had that conversation in any structured way.
Neurodiversity means embracing the full spectrum of talent at work. Seafarers are incredibly diverse, but our industry still has a huge opportunity both to acquire and develop neurodiverse talent, and to do the right thing by neurodivergent seafarers. Metrics are a first step to realising the neurodivergent advantage, for both seafarers and employers.
Who should take part
The survey is open to seafarers in every rank and department, and to people who work in the wider industry ashore. You don’t need a diagnosis to take part, and you don’t need to be neurodivergent: the views of colleagues and managers matter too. The charity is asking everyone who takes part to share the survey with their crewmates and colleagues, so that the results reflect as much of the industry as possible.
NeurodiversAtSea was founded in 2022 by seafarers, and is informed by leaders in industry, academia and the charitable sector. It champions neurodivergent seafarers, and aims to end discrimination and prejudice and to help neurodivergent people succeed in maritime careers.
This survey has now closed
The survey closed in January 2023. Read more about our research and what we have done with the findings.
