Minding the Campus: DEI Policies Are Alive and Well

Minding the Campus: DEI Policies Are Alive and Well

The academic left is not letting go of this nonsense.

Wenyuan Wu writes:

DEI Hasn’t Died: The Rise of Neurodiversity and Multigenerational Diversity

The New York Times recently unveiled a fascinating shift in the landscape of “diversity, equity, and inclusion” (DEI) programs. Instead of the overt focus on race and gender representation, a new trend of rebranding is emerging. Now, we see the rise of more innocuous-sounding initiatives like “culture surveys” and “performance training.”

While opponents should rightfully celebrate small yet meaningful victories in blunting the doctrine here and there, one must be somberly reminded that the DEI behemoth is deeply entrenched in our institutions, and its ideological core of dividing our society by group labels stays unchanged.

To stave off public scrutiny, DEI’s snake-oil salesmen constantly reinvent the grift with new terms and euphemisms. Especially after the Supreme Court struck down Harvard’s race-based undergraduate admissions, zealots have engineered innovative vehicles to perpetuate the ideology.

“Neuroinclusion” or “neurodiversity” is an umbrella concept for accommodating individuals with developmental and learning disabilities such as autism and ADHD. The concept describes different ways people’s brains may work, whereas there is no “correct” way and we must encourage these differences.

According to the Harvard Medical School, “neurodiversity advocates encourage inclusive, nonjudgmental language” towards persons with developmental disabilities. Instead of addressing them with “person-first language,” such as “a person with Down syndrome,” neurodiverse folks need to use “identity-first language” and be more sensitive towards their special needs, which should be viewed as differences, not deficits. Employers should make the workplaces more “neurodiversity-friendly” by offering noise-cancelling headphones, allowing modifications to the usual work uniform, allowing the use of fidget toys, and giving extra movement breaks.

In October 2023, the Stanford Neurodiversity Project, an initiative launched by Stanford’s Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, held a three-day summit. The event was organized to “collect views of the community about what research and community-based services should be prioritized and how they can be designed better… [to] build a sanctuary for all who promote and safeguard neurodiversity.” On day 2 of the summit, there was a panel on destigmatizing neurodiverse conditions, during which a self-proclaimed “scholar activist” and a “feminist rabbi” discussed the need to train lawyers on “trauma-informed practices” and ways our legal system “stereotype, penalize, and mistreat neurodivergent people.”

Donations tax deductible
to the full extent allowed by law.