Event Round-up: VRA AGM 2026 and ‘Beyond Neurodiversity Awareness’

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Event Round-up: VRA AGM 2026 and ‘Beyond Neurodiversity Awareness’

16 April 2026 | Online
Members and guests joined the VRA online for this year’s Annual General Meeting, one of the key moments in our calendar, before staying on for a lively guest session with neurodiversity specialist and ICF-certified coach Nicci Lou. In under an hour, the event moved from essential association updates and voting, to practical ideas people could take straight back into their day-to-day work.

AGM: the headlines

The meeting opened with quick housekeeping (including a reminder that AGM votes are for members), then moved into reflections on the year just gone. Members heard about progress across the webinar programme and professional standards work, alongside continued collaboration and international links and the completion of website development.

Looking ahead, the Board shared early priorities for 2026–27, keeping the focus on championing high-quality, evidence-based vocational rehabilitation, building CPD and events, and staying engaged with wider national conversations relevant to work and health (including the “Keep Britain Working” agenda).

Bev Knops then talked members through the financial position for 2025, including the reserves approach (maintaining enough funds to continue operating for a year if income were disrupted). A small year-end surplus was noted, alongside healthy balances across the current and reserve accounts.

AGM business was then confirmed by the membership. The previous AGM minutes were confirmed by the quorum and approved (with confirmation recorded via chat due to poll/technical issues). The proposed Trustee Board was also put to the vote and was unanimously voted in.

With the formal items complete (and no additional AOB raised), the event flowed straight into the guest webinar, an easy handover that kept the conversation going.

Guest session: ‘Beyond Neurodiversity Awareness’ with Nicci Lou

Nicci Lou, founder of Amplify to Thrive and the voice behind Be More Zebra, invited us to move beyond awareness and into the practical reality of neurodiversity in everyday working life. Rather than focusing on labels, Nicci explored how people can think, process and communicate differently, why misunderstandings can happen, and what helps teams and services become more inclusive by design.

What we discussed (and what people are taking away)

We started by getting clear on terminology, using neurodiversity to describe natural variation across human brains, and neurodivergence to describe an individual whose processing differs from the neurotypical majority. From there, the conversation quickly turned to real-life communication: how directness, subtext, pacing and processing style can all affect workplace interactions (often without anyone realising they’re working from different assumptions).

A strong theme was masking, the effort some people put into “fitting in”, and the cumulative impact this can have on energy, wellbeing and sustainability at work. Nicci encouraged a neuro-affirming, strengths-based approach that builds psychological safety and makes it easier for people to ask for what they need (without having to ‘perform’).

In brief, practical ideas that resonated:

• Make expectations explicit: be clear on the outcome, deadline and next step (rather than relying on “ASAP” or implied priorities).

• Offer options for participation: for example, chat vs speaking, and camera use that supports access needs while still enabling connection.
• Share information in more than one way: written summaries, slides and follow-up notes help reduce cognitive load and improve clarity.
• Design adjustments that help everyone: when inclusive practices are standard (not exceptional), stigma reduces and teams work better.
• Remember Access to Work: coaching and equipment can be funded in many situations; a formal diagnosis is not always required and timescales can vary.
• Keep disclosure conversations needs-led: focus on what support would help and why, then decide whether/when to share labels based on context and safety.

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Additional Resources Provided:

The Slides Can be found here - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_TF93e3iwPZximnL-7SvdQJelFaDXEsA/view?usp=sharing

• Here is the link to the neurodiversity spheres exercise -  https://amplifytothrive.simplero.com/neurodivergent-vs-neurotypical1
• And here is the website for more information on the different neurodivergent conditions  https://www.thebraincharity.org.uk/seven-neurodivergent-conditions/ 
• Embrace website is great for anyone who want to look into their own possible neurodivergence more. Especially autism. https://embrace-autism.com/
• https://drive.google.com/file/d/1j76HdsMsBaQSUoaSl7vnYCyrgW_r-WYu/view?usp=sharing - Being aware of how you word interview questions - to help all neurotypes

And lastly if anyone wants to join Nicci for a FREE workshop to dive into unmasking deeper - if you are not sure you are being your authentic selves at work or home - then you can here https://amplifytothrive.com/page/674243

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What’s next for the VRA

If you missed the session (or want to keep the momentum going), there are plenty of ways to stay involved over the coming months, whether that’s joining an event, sharing ideas, or contributing practice insights.

• Annual Conference (June): Tickets were noted as nearing capacity at the time of the event.

• Awards: Details will be shared soon; members are encouraged to contribute ideas and nominations.
• Webinars, newsletter and member voice: Share feedback on future topics and consider submitting case studies for the VRA newsletter.
• CPD evidence: A certificate of attendance is available via the post-event survey (as referenced during the session).

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Thanks to everyone who joined, voted, asked questions and shared reflections. The AGM confirmed key business for the year ahead, and Nicci’s session left attendees with simple, practical ways to make communication and working environments more inclusive, starting with the next conversation, the next meeting, or the next piece of information you share.

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