ND Pride 2019
June 18 2019 will be the 2nd edition of Neurodiversity Pride Day, the day of pride to celebrate neurodivergent uniqueness, and how each of us add beauty to an otherwise neurotypical society. It’s a day organized by & for neurodivergents, and their allies. IN 2019, we had activities in 4 cities, and the Netherlands was the focus.
The program for ND Pride 2019:
Utrecht ND PRIDE DAY
12:00 Launch of the video series “Powerfully Different – female autistics in the workplace“, at the largest association for autistics in the Netherlands.
13.00 On this second day of ND Pride, we are organizing a influencer action to promote the mission, with ‘#weareallnuts“
Rotterdam ND PRide Day
14:00 In the Rotterdam Science Tower, a tech launch & talk will be organized, showing the potential of mainstream nonverbal communication with the Signs research project.
AMSTELVEEN ND PRIDE DAY
19:00 Main Event ND Pride Day. Multiple speakers at the Amstelveen city council auditorium.
AMSTERDAM ND PRIDE DAY
1930 – Workshop on how to embrace your differences and differentness as a neurodivergent.
Neuro Inclusive Politician Awards
Every 2 years, a politician is selected from a group of nominees, as the winner of the most neuroinclusive politician award, commonly called: “NIP”. The winner is “Lisa Westerveld” from the Groen Links political party.
Neurodiversity Networks meetups
June is the best month in the year to launch, or meetup with your neurodiversity network. This is a group of ND peers in your own organization.
Neurodiversity Keynote of the Year
Every Year we ask a daring pioneer to speak about Neurodiversity. In 2019, we are grateful for Professor Jelle van Dijk to be the Keynote speaker of 2019. The Keynote will be added to the Keynote Room, in the “Pride Universe”.
Support & Cocelebrations
There are many ways to support the celebrations. Send a card of love to another neurodivergent. You can use the ND Pride cards, or use your own. Or pass on a “Happy neurodiversity pride day” message on your social media channels, to pass on the positivity to others.
About Neurodiversity Pride Day 2019
Neurodiversity Pride Day 2019 Banner
Neurodiversity Pride Day 2019
Information about the Neurodiversity Pride Day
The 18th of June 2019 will be the second Neurodiversity Pride Day, organized in the Netherlands by the Neurodiversity Foundation, for all neurodivergents, and their allies.
On this day, activities are organized in cities that support the wish for a neuroinclusive future for all. On this day, we shine a spotlight to the positive impact of a inclusive, neurodiverse friendly society, as well as the teaming up of individuals with differing neurotypes in the spirit of cooperation and solidarity. Its a day, to be proud, of your differences to the imaginary norms. A day, to be thankful of how being different, being neurodivergent, makes the world, a better place for all.
Last year was focussed on ‘Neurodiverse Families’, but this year we switch the theme to ‘Neurodiverse Friends’, for there is a lot of that going around in the world, and it deserves celebration. We all have friends who are wired differently, and these are persons who’ve earned our friendship and trust. All of us have Neurodifferent friends that we appreciate, that we like for who they are, that add something to our lives, whether we are Neurodivergent or Neurotypical ourselves. On this day, we will show that, in friendship, bridging the gaps between us, is not so hard. And its worth it.
There will be activities in the 4 main cities of the Netherlands, as well as an online campaign. The slogan for the 2019 edition is: You, Be You.
As an action, on this 2nd ever Neurodiversity Pride Day, we request from our friends, to mark this day in their calendar as Neurodiversity Pride Day, and use the Neurodiverse pride-emblem to show love, connection and support to all Neurodivergent people, by putting the emblem on their social-media profile pictures. The emblem has the ‘faded rainbow’ in it, which is the symbol for neurodiverse Pride, similar to the vividly colored rainbow being used a symbol for LTGB Pride. In this simple way, with this simple action, we create a wave of acceptance and appreciation, to be seen by all, as a message for a brighter future to come.
For Neurodiversity Pride day 2020, we are inviting organisations supportive of the day to join us in celebration, each June 18th. For information, mail to pride@neurodiversiteit.nl
Persbericht
Persbericht | Press Release
“Neurodiversity Pride day started in the Netherlands
Following Pride initiatives in America and England, the Neurodiversity Pride Day will also be celebrated in the Netherlands on June 18th. Neurodiversity is the term for the variation in brain types. People with unique brains (such as those with Autism, ADHD, Tourette’s, and Dyslexia) use this day to shift the focus to the value they bring and the pride in the courageous choice to be oneself in a world that wants to put every unique form into a square box. Activities are being organized throughout the country to draw attention to the added value of people with neurological variations.
“In a contemporary landscape where ‘different’ is often labeled as negative, on June 18th we will shine the spotlight on people with unique brains,” says founder Tjerk Feitsma. “Neurodivergent individuals each contribute something special to our humanity. Our differences can be the basis of progress, wonder, and friendship. Diversity makes the collective more beautiful, and that is something to be celebrated.”
Various neurodivergent influencers even choose this day for their “coming out.” On social media, they draw attention to their personal stories with the campaign hashtag #weareallnuts.
In Amsterdam, workshops are being organized about the hidden power of ADHD. In Rotterdam, a video series about female autistics is being launched, in which they talk about the qualities that make them above average in their chosen field of work. There is also the annual Neurodiversity Speech, which this year will be delivered by assistant professor Jelle van Dijk in Amstelveen.
The Neurodiversity Pride Day is an initiative of the Neurodiversity Foundation.”
Videos of the Neurodiversity Pride Day 2019 Main Event & Videos of the Neurodiversity Pride Day 2019 Video series “Powerfully Different”.”
CELEBRATING EACH NEURODIVERGENT and ALL NEUROTYPES.
The ND Pride Day was founded by neurodivergents, created for ALL Neurodivergents to celebrate themselves and all other NDs in their world.
The Neurodiversity Foundation is the hub for organizers worldwide, as the initial founders, but multiple organizations organize internationally.
Pride Stands Together.
In ND Pride we have created a day for ALL neurodivergents, like Dyslectics, Adhdoers, Tourettians and so many more. ND Pride is for all of us, its our day.
We are inspired by others, but we are not directly connected to other pride movements like LGTBQIA+pride, Mad Pride or Autistic Pride. We stand with them, we support them, but we are different initiatives, with our own ways.
MADE BY & for NEURODIVERGENTS. All Welcome
All are welcome to join ND Pride celebrations, NT allies included. And, if you abide by ‘The 3 rules”, each Neurodivergent can also create their own activity.
We also welcome partners, most are non-profit community partners, but we also allow for corporate partners that have ability to create jobs and roles for neurodivergents.
Main Event
Every year on Neurodiversity Pride Day, a special message is delivered by a daring pioneer, and this year it is Jelle van Dijk. The second dutch-language event was opened by Tjerk Feitsma.
The Deputy Mayor of Social Affairs also gave an introduction about this day, selling the idea of “unless you’re a unicorn”, and why his municipality also supports this national day of pride as one of the participating cities.
In 2019, Jelle van Dijk, an assistant professor at TUE, as an expert and frontrunner in the field of Diversity Computing (DivCom), will share his vision at the neurodiversity event in Amstelveen. This will take place in the council chamber of the Amstelveen municipality, which supports this day.
In addition, Lana Jelenjev, who, together with Eleonora Spagnuolo and Saskia Weniger, developed the magazine for neurodiverse classrooms, will present the magazine and its symbol “Brainy” to the municipality.
The evening was concluded by Tjerk Feitsma, founder of the ATHENS Research Consortium.
Next year, a Neurodiversity Pride Day will be organized again on June 18, 2020. For more information, keep an eye on the page on this website. For organizations and businesses who would like to participate next year, please email us at pride@neurodiversiteit.nl.
ND Pride Workshop
A workshop & talk is organized by Renee Snijder, ad(h)d coach at Stormvogel in Amsterdam for Neurodiversity Pride Day. The event is called: Embrace Your Differentness. Admission is free.
“Do you have AD(H)D? Do you often feel different from others!? Have you often been an outsider because of this? GREAT! Because this creates amazing qualities! Without AD(H)Ders, the world would be a lot duller, less authentic and creative! The society in which everyone is under pressure to be ‘normal’ can actually use us! But what exactly is so beautiful about our otherness and how can we show this to the world? Renee Snijder is organizing an evening in honor of Neurodiversity Pride Day, celebrating the added value of AD(H)D for society. She shines a spotlight on all the good things it brings. Come along if you want to embrace your otherness and use it more positively!
Rotterdam Pride – Neurodiversity Tech
Omotola Bolarin will share his vision on assistive technology to enable neurodiverse translations with the audience and answer questions about the innovation being realized by the ATHENS Research Consortium (“ATHENS is short for: Assistive Tech Hub Enhancing a Neurodiverse Society”). He will also launch the first Brainy App, one of the prototype tools from the collaborative initiative of 2Tango & Neurodiversity Foundation.
The event will be conducted in English. Omotola Bolarin will share his vision on assistive technology to support neurodiverse translations with the audience and answer questions about the innovation being built by the “supportive technical hub improving a neurodiverse society”. He will also launch and discuss the Brainy App, one of the initial tools of the ATHENS Research Consortium to aid neurodiverse communication in classrooms.
Video Powerfully Different
(Krachtig Anders)
In society, there are a lot of prejudices about autism. People with autism may never be able to find work that suits them and allows them to make a living. Diantha Voskuijl, on the occasion of Neurodiversity Pride Day on June 18, spoke with four neurodivergent women and an autism expert about how to use autism as a strength at work. “Krachtig Anders” is dutch language for”Powerfully Different”.
Krachtig Anders: 1. Annelies Spek
In this special interview, Annelies Spek, clinical psychologist and head of the Autism Expertise Center, talks about what autism is, why autistic people are different from others, and why that can be very useful.
Krachtig Anders: 2. Sylvia Stuurman
Why are many autistic people so interested in computers? And what is it like to work as an autistic at a university? Sylvia Stuurman is a computer science teacher at the Open University. Sylvia talks about how her life and perspective changed after her diagnosis and how she was able to adjust her environment to fully realize her potential.
Krachtig Anders: 3. Jacqueline Rodenburg
Rodenburg Jacqueline Rodenburg is a goldsmith and has her own business. She is also autistic. In this video, Jacqueline talks about how she was able to turn what society saw as a limitation into a strength. Actually, autism can be quite useful when working as a goldsmith.
Krachtig Anders: 4. Danielle Ploegmakers
In this episode of Powerful Different, Danielle Ploegmakers passionately and inspiringly talks about online marketing and how to become a successful entrepreneur.
Krachtig Anders: 5. Birgitte Paffen
Birgitte Paffen, an interior designer (BinnenZinnig), was diagnosed as an autistic a year ago. Like many others who are diagnosed later in life, it is a process for her to accept and integrate the new information. In this video, she takes us through this process and talks about how her work helps.
Social Pride – #Wereallnuts
On June 18th, 2019, the second Neurodiversity Pride Day will take place and our first online campaign called #We’reAllNuts will start, in collaboration with many fun influencers on Instagram and Facebook. This year’s theme is ‘Neurodiverse Friends’. We all have friends who are just wired differently, whom we are friends with and trust. And maybe….. you…. are that friend who is different. Being different is fun, and necessary in our society, and if you are ‘not normal’, you probably have a lot to be proud of and that should be celebrated.
On Neurodiversity Pride Day, influencers and opinion makers share their story about their own brain pride, and they put on the #weareallnuts t-shirt as a sign of support to those who do not fit into standard boxes or are proud to be outside of them. Because ‘normal’ doesn’t really exist, and nobody has ever become themselves by masking and forcing themselves to ‘act normal’, while the world needs people who can be their full selves. Neurodiversity Pride day is a day to express your pride in who you are, to embrace your difference, and… to celebrate.
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