University News

WIU to Celebrate Neurodiversity Pride Week

June 16, 2026

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MACOMB, IL - - Western Illinois University will be celebrating Neurodiversity Pride through Thursday, June 18 at the Wright House.

Neurodiversity Pride recognizes the diversity of human cognition, honoring the unique ways our brains process, learn and relate to the world around us.

WIU Political Science professor Casey LaFrance serves on the Wisdom Council of the Neurodiversity Foundation and has pioneered inclusive educational practices, including the development of sensory rooms at WIU and advocating for the affirmation of the neurodivergent paradigm in faculty policy.

"A community, workplace, or project becomes more resilient when it makes room for different ways of seeing the world. Neurodiversity Pride Week reminds us that inclusion is not simply a social value. It is a systems strategy. Inclusive infrastructure often produces returns of three to one or more because it unlocks talent, strengthens trust, expands participation, and creates value that compounds over time," Casey Lafrance, WIU Political Science Professor, said.

WIU is flying a flag at the University Union throughout Neurodiversity Pride Week to celebrate everyone's unique strengths.

"The flag raising is an opportunity to bring greater recognition, awareness, and a sense of belonging to one of the many communities that make up the WIU community," Carl Ervin, director of Employee Initiatives and Campus Culture, an office within Human Resources.

To learn more about WIU's accessibility initiatives, visit go.wiu.edu/43IFnj9.

Posted By: University Communications (U-Communications@wiu.edu)
Office of University Communications & Marketing