Disabled and Neurodivergent LGBTQ+ Support
Some disabled and/or neurodivergent LGBTQ+ young people face specific barriers to entering or remaining in education, training, or work. On this page, you can find resources and services with specific support.
- What is neurodiversity?
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Neurodiversity is the diversity of human minds. There is no one "right" way of thinking, learning, and behaving.
People often use the word neurodiversity to refer to learning disabilities and differences. These can include autism, ADHD, dyslexia and dyspraxia.
Some people who are neurodivergent use the word to celebrate the different ways they live, learn and experience the world.
Click on the links below for support:
- Career and education advice and support
- Support for students and trainees
- Stories from disabled and/or neurodivergent LGBTQ+ people
- Information about your rights as a disabled and/or neurodivergent person
- Disability advocacy
- Peer groups for disabled and/or neurodivergent LGBTQ+ young people
- Mental health support
Please be aware that links are provided for signposting purposes. Stonewall is not affiliated with listed organisations or responsible for the content of external websites.
Career advice for disabled and/or neurodivergent people
The Get Ahead Toolkit
The Get Ahead Toolkit by Disability Rights UK is a series of magazines with disability-inclusive information and advice about writing CVs, looking for jobs, applying for education and training opportunities, career choices and more.
You can also look through Get Ahead newsletters to read about the experiences of other disabled and neurodivergent young people and find out about inclusive career and education opportunities.
Scope’s Career Pathways
Scope’s Career Pathways is a careers advisory service for disabled and neurodivergent people. You’ll be able to meet with an advisor in person or online to get information on what your career options are and support in developing your careers goals and plans. You can ask for adjustments to make this service accessible to you.
Support for disabled and/or neurodivergent students and trainees
Disability Rights UK helpline for students, apprentices and trainees
Disability Rights UK runs a Disabled Students Helpline which offers information and advice to disabled students, apprentices and trainees by phone and email. You can get support on applying to college, university and apprenticeships, telling people about your disability, financial assistance, adjustments for disabled students and apprentices, your rights, and how to resolve any disagreements.
Opening hours: 11am-1pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Telephone: 0330 995 0414
Email: students@disabilityrightsuk.org
Stories from disabled and/or neurodivergent LGBTQ+ people
Chimtengo’s Story
Discover Chimtengo’s journey from “a little African girl lost in her northern school to an authentically Zambian, neurodiverse, queer woman”. You can also download an accessible image description and transcript on the page.
Pembe’s Story
Watch Pembe’s story on our LGBTQ+ Stories page. Pembe talks about struggling with ADHD in school and how she went on to start her own company. A transcript of the video is also available.
Information about your rights as a disabled and/or neurodivergent person
Acas: Disability at work
On the Acas advice page about disability at work, you can find information about all your legal rights as a disabled and/or neurodivergent person. There is information about reasonable adjustments, what they are and when an employer should make them.
You can also find information about discrimination based on disability at work, what it looks like, and what you can do if you experience it.
Right to Participate
Right to Participate has information on what to do if you experience discrimination as a disabled person. You can select the area where you’ve experienced a problem, including in education and in employment, and then select from a list of barriers to find information about what you can do.
There are also template letters to write to businesses, institutions, and companies about making sure they are fully accessible.
Disability advocacy
Disability Rights UK – Disability Advocates
On this page, you’ll be able to find information about disability advocacy, what it is, and what it can help you with. There is a list of disability advocates you can get in touch with if you need support.
Peer groups for disabled and/or neurodivergent LGBTQ+ young people
Choice Support LGBTQ+ social groups
Choice Support has created a list of different social groups for disabled and neurodivergent LGBTQ+ people in different locations in the UK, with information on who can get involved and how.
The Disabled Apprentice Network
The Disabled Apprentice Network by Disability Rights UK is a network for disabled apprentices, where you can talk about how to improve apprenticeships for disabled people and share your experiences. On this page, you can find more information about the network and how you can join it.
Mental Health support
The Mix
In this section of the The Mix website, you’ll find information about different learning disabilities and syndromes, such as dyslexia, ADHD, and Down’s Syndrome. This information includes traits of different learning disabilities and differences, answering commonly asked questions about them, and sharing testimonies from young people with learning disabilities.
On My Mind
On My Mind is a directory with information about mental health, treatment, self-care, and where to find mental health services. You can find information about your rights in receiving treatment for mental ill health, a jargon buster to explain commonly used terms, a crisis messenger with 24/7 text support, and more. There is a section specifically for LGBTQI+ mental health.
Young Minds
The Young Minds website has information about mental health conditions such as anxiety, depression, OCD, Borderline Personality Disorder, and more. There’s also specific information on ADHD and mental health, and autism and mental health.
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