Website: https://www.dl-academy.com/
Industry: Data, AI and Learning & Development
Location: United Kingdom
Employees: 100
Learners: 100
Standout Achievement: 25% of previously undisclosed neurodivergent employees disclosed to their line manager, demonstrating a significant increase in psychological safety and trust.
Data & AI Literacy Academy enables enterprise organisations to build data-driven cultures by equipping employees at every level with the skills, confidence, and knowledge to work effectively with data and AI. Their clients include major organisations such as Heathrow, Marks & Spencer and Coventry Building Society.
As a fast-growing business operating in the data and AI sector, Data & AI Literacy Academy recognised that neurodiversity is closely linked to the talent nd problem-solving strengths that drive success. Under the leadership of Greg Freeman, Founder and CEO, the organisation wanted to ensure it was creating an environment where all employees could thrive while building the leadership capability, processes, and culture needed to support sustainable growth.
Like many organisations in the technology, data, and AI sectors, Data & AI Literacy Academy suspected that a significant proportion of its workforce was neurodivergent but lacked robust data, consistent processes, and leadership confidence to effectively support employees.
Research suggests approximately 20% of the wider population is neurodivergent, yet our Neurodiversity Audit identified 47% of employees as neurodivergent.
Through this and our Change Management programme we identified several key opportunities:
McKinsey found that 72% of organisational change initiatives fail because of employee resistance and lack of leadership support. However, from the outset, senior leaders actively participated in the discovery process, contributed to organisational diagnostics, and helped shape the programme's objectives, including the CEO who delivered a keynote speech at Launch Day.
This level of sponsorship sent a clear message across the business that neurodiversity, culture, and employee experience were important components of the organisation's future success, driving learner engagement. It also helped establish trust and psychological safety before education began.
As Greg Freeman, Founder and CEO, noted:
"You can't escape the fact that half of our workforce is neurodivergent, and if you're in the tech or data space, yours is likely as well. That's the type of brilliant-minded person we want joining us."
Before any training was delivered, National Neurodiversity Training conducted leadership and manager 1-2-1s, lived-experience focus groups, and our Neurodiversity Audit, a baseline assessment of where the business and its people are at with their knowledge and confidence of neurodiversity
This discovery work revealed several key themes that would shape both the programme design and wider organisational changes:
By understanding the lived experiences of employees before designing solutions, the programme was able to directly address the realities of working in a fast-growing data and AI business.
With almost half of the workforce identifying as neurodivergent, including 42% of leadership, Data & AI Literacy Academy recognised that different groups within the organisation would require different learning pathways.
National Neurodiversity Training created six bespoke pathways tailored to employees' roles, responsibilities, and experiences. Senior leaders, managers, neurodivergent employees, neurodivergent managers, neuro-curious employees, and neurotypical colleagues each received learning designed specifically for their context.
This approach ensured that staff could immediately apply learning in practical situations, whether that meant leading teams, requesting support, implementing adjustments, or becoming more effective colleagues and collaborators.
The programme was designed to create cultural change that would continue long after the formal learning experience ended.
Alongside the education programme, National Neurodiversity Training worked with Data & AI Literacy Academy to review policies, develop more consistent support processes, and create greater clarity around workplace adjustments and employee support.
Importantly, the organisation also established its own neurodiversity community, providing employees with an ongoing space to share experiences, learn from one another, and continue conversations beyond the programme itself.
Managers and leaders demonstrated significant gains in confidence and practical capability:
Ross Barrow, Chief Technology Officer, said:
"I feel so much more confident leading my team. I didn't know there was a right or wrong way to respond to disclosure, which has already happened since the programme, let alone how to implement support and navigate our legal requirements. Now I do."
The programme delivered meaningful improvements in employee confidence, trust, and support experiences:
Nico Weyers, Data Literacy Educator, said:
"For the first time in my 30-year career, I feel able to just be me and have reasonable adjustments made as a productive collaboration instead of a tick-box exercise."
Sarah Driesmans, Demand Generation Manager, added:
"Having this structured support has made me realise I can be transparent. It's really been quite life-changing."
The programme achieved an average 29% point improvement in knowledge scores across the entire organisation, with 18% of learners receiving a Distinction.
Key outcomes included:
Lakshmi Darisi, People and Operations Executive, said:
"What stood out the most was how the awareness has turned into action. People feel more confident. There is more openness, transparency, and sharing of new ideas. When people feel acknowledged, heard, and valued, they perform their best."
The impact extended beyond awareness and confidence into measurable employee outcomes:
These outcomes demonstrate how investing in neuroinclusive leadership and workplace culture can contribute directly to employee engagement, wellbeing, and retention.
Reach out today to learn how our bespoke solutions can improve manager confidence, employee experience, and ensure compliance.
