The “Magic” of Meeting in Person

Inaccessibility, COVID exposure, and productivity loss — that is what’s “special” about mandatory in-person work.

To the organizers of [Institution Redacted] Inclusivity in STEM Symposium,

Thank you for your interest in having me speak about neurodiversity at your organization’s event! However, in the spirit of neurodiversity acceptance, I really must challenge your claim that you cannot adapt my talk to a virtual format because “there’s something special” about meeting in person.

I know that for many people there truly is a feeling of a closer, more authentic connection at a live, in-person meeting, and that for them, face-to-face events foster a greater ability to speak off the cuff. Many non-Autistic, non-disabled people feel that a video chat introduces the boundaries of time and distance to the interaction, which can make communication feel halting or artificial. But it is those very same boundaries of time and distance that help to keep disabled people like myself authentically engaged, participating at our own speeds, and protected from the sensory pains and viral risks that an in-person event introduces.

I understand that on Zoom (or the equivalent), it can be difficult to guess at a person’s emotions because you can’t see all…