In the past year, digital access and technology have increasingly become part of health interactions and issues, and like many things, such access comes with positives and negatives. Navigating all of these concerns takes a toll on our individual and collective wellbeing. This is especially true for those who are neurodivergent. At MozFest 2022, the Creating Neurodiverse Wellbeing Space invites discussion, support, and collaboration on these issues. Read on for more information about how we are envisaging the space or submit a session proposal now!

What is the role of mental health in an online world?

‘Digital’ and ‘technology’ are terms which are part of millenia-long histories (written, social and oral) and processes of people interacting with tools and knowledge. We in the Creating Neurodiverse Wellbeing Space are interested in how people can use tools and knowledge to build each other up, both online and offline, making sure this process takes in both neurodivergent as well as neurotypical people.

In order to increase trustworthy online systems and usage, it helps to spread cultures of authentic trust, which can be difficult for neurodivergent individuals to access in an often neurotypically-focused online and offline technology landscape.

What is the Creating Neurodiverse Wellbeing Space About?

We’re exploring how neurodivergent individuals, and people from all walks of life connect to support each other, both offline and online, through the times when we need to increase a sense of resilience. Such experiences can be particularly acute for people who think in ways that don’t match those around them.

In this space, we aim to collaborate in many ways to answer some of the following questions:

1. How can we create ways to help people express difficult experiences safely?
2. How to help better craft the algorithms that we use when we reach out for comfort and support in painful times?
3. How can we usefully imagine ecosystems and unifying healthcare systems that are based on truth and lived experience?
4. In what ways do neurodivergent individuals need support for mental health and wellbeing that vary from neurotypical experiences?
5. How can we celebrate neurodivergent differences in lived experience in an honest, equitable fashion?
6. In what ways can we continue to build and cultivate a thriving digital community for neurodivergent individuals?
7. What is the role of data in stressful situations?
8. What are practical uses of the arts and humanities to help those feeling burned out by digital systems? in AI distress and/or encountering digital exclusion?
9. What global texts would create digital bridges instead of barriers?

We as individuals can further this goal by coming together from all disciplines and walks of life, and the MozFest 2022 Call for Proposals particularly welcomes everyone to submit, with information, guidance, understanding and support available at every step of the way.

Whatever your situation, come and share healing information, cultural techniques, useful resources, helpful knowledge and friendly dialogues around shaping wellbeing vocabularies for inclusion!