About Diversified

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Diversified staff group image

Diversified is a collective of neurodivergent UNSW students, staff and academics. Our mission is to improve the lives of neurodivergent people by ensuring they are central to the conversations and decisions that impact them. Through research, resource development, education, and advocacy we are working to embed neuro-inclusion into UNSW’s educational framework and policies to create a more inclusive society, starting within the UNSW community and expanding outward.

Collaboration
Innovation
Empowerment

Our story

Diversified began as a student-led initiative at UNSW, driven by the need to create more inclusive learning environments for neurodivergent students. Over time, it has grown into a comprehensive program that addresses broader issues of accessibility and awareness across education, workplaces, and communities.

Josie was a student who refused to accept that her learning environment couldn’t adapt, and she’s the reason we’re here. When faced with an inaccessible assessment briefing, instead of just highlighting the problem, she redesigned it to meet her needs. Recognising the potential to help fellow students, Josie presented her solution to her educator, and together they made the course more accessible. The redesigned briefing is still in use today, and not just in that course.

Josie’s advocacy didn’t stop there—she began pushing for more improvements, found others experiencing the same challenges and worked to find a solution. It’s through this collaboration that Diversified was born. Josie’s story show’s the power of self-advocacy and collaboration, the everyday challenges neurodivergent students face, and it’s why we continue to champion neurodivergent voices in education and beyond.

Josie sitting on a couch at home

Through our work we aim to:

Meet the team

Terry Cumming headshot

Professor Terry Cumming

she/her

Founding Diversified Member & Lead Researcher

Ian McAurthur headshot

Associate Professor Ian McArthur

he/him

Co-Founder of Diversified & Research team member

Karen Kriss headshot

Karen Kriss

she/her

Founding Diversified Member & Research team member

Aaron Saint James headshot

Aaron Saint-James

he/him

Founding Member, Co-Project Officer & Co-Researcher

Chantel Le Cross headshot

Chantel Le Cross

they/them

Founding Member, Co-Project Officer & Co-Researcher

Karin Watson headshot

Associate Professor Karin Thiele Watson

she/her

Founding Diversified Member & Research team member

Veronica Jiang headshot

Dr Veronica Jiang

she/her

Research Team Member

Joshua Karras headshot

Joshua Karras

he/him

Diversified Team Member

Aves Parsemain headshot

Aves Parsemain

they/them

Educational Design consultant

Blank avatar headshot

Dr Jess Macer-Wright

she/her

Research Team Member

Anh Nguyen headshot

Anh Nguyen

he/him

Diversified Content & Media Specialist

Get involved

We believe that change happens through collaboration, innovation and community engagement. Whether you’re an educator, student, or an organisation, there are many ways to contribute to building a more inclusive and supportive environment for our neurodivergent community.

Here’s how you can be part of this movement:

Partners & collaborators

Our work is made possible through the support and collaboration of our valued partners.