Our Values.
The Neurodiversity Change Foundation (NCF) is grounded in values that prioritize safety, dignity, and accountability over performative inclusion. These values guide how we design programs, form partnerships, and define impact.
Lived-Experience Leadership
Neurodivergent people must be leaders—not just participants—in the systems that shape their lives. NCF centers lived experience as a form of expertise, essential to ethical design, decision-making, and implementation.
Safety Before Compliance
Systems often reward conformity while overlooking harm. NCF prioritizes psychological, physical, and relational safety over expectations of masking, normalization, or “fit.”
Rights-Based Accountability
Inclusion is not discretionary. Our work is informed by rights-based frameworks, including the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, and emphasizes institutional responsibility—not individual adaptation.
Integrity and Ethical Stewardship
Neurodivergent knowledge, frameworks, and intellectual property must be respected, protected, and fairly compensated. NCF rejects extractive practices and commits to ethical stewardship of lived-experience expertise.
Evidence-Informed Action
We integrate lived experience with rigorous research and evaluation. Our work is grounded in evidence, implementation science, and continuous learning to ensure real-world impact.
Intersectionality and Equity
Neurodivergent people are not a monolith. We recognize and address how disability intersects with race, gender, class, Indigeneity, and other forms of marginalization, shaping access, risk, and outcomes.