Tom Bridges
Nominee Profile
Location: Bristol
Hi! My name is Tom, I'm 26 and have both Autism and ADHD.
I run two employee resource groups for DHL Group, one within a division in the UK that focuses on disability in general and one that is global and cross-divisional that is neurodiversity focused. I am often a guest speaker for different teams and panel discussions, sharing my story and the impact it has, I run education calls, guide individuals through their own neurodiversities, guide managers through the process of accommodating their neurodiverse colleagues, I have written disability related policy style documents, and loads more that I am super proud of and am so grateful to be nominated for this award!
My struggles with mental health started as a child and lasted all the way to being 22 years old. In my teens and early adult years I had a long battle with depression, anxiety and suicidal ideation, and along the way came eating disorders, addiction and OCD. The loneliness was suffocating and whatever I tried did not seem to work; I was lost. I spent all that time wondering why I wasn't like everybody else and why life is so much harder for me than it seems to be for other people.
Then I got my diagnoses and everything became clear. Now that I know my brain is wired differently, I can look after myself differently, right? And now that I have the knowledge and the understanding, my life is radically different and accepting that I am disabled was ultimately the thing that saved me.
Now I have an opportunity both professionally and personally to be loud and vocal and shout about my disabilities so in the short term I can make people feel seen, heard and appreciated, and long term to shift mindsets and culture to make the world more inclusive for people like me!
https://www.linkedin.com/in/tombridges99/
I run two employee resource groups for DHL Group, one within a division in the UK that focuses on disability in general and one that is global and cross-divisional that is neurodiversity focused. I am often a guest speaker for different teams and panel discussions, sharing my story and the impact it has, I run education calls, guide individuals through their own neurodiversities, guide managers through the process of accommodating their neurodiverse colleagues, I have written disability related policy style documents, and loads more that I am super proud of and am so grateful to be nominated for this award!
My struggles with mental health started as a child and lasted all the way to being 22 years old. In my teens and early adult years I had a long battle with depression, anxiety and suicidal ideation, and along the way came eating disorders, addiction and OCD. The loneliness was suffocating and whatever I tried did not seem to work; I was lost. I spent all that time wondering why I wasn't like everybody else and why life is so much harder for me than it seems to be for other people.
Then I got my diagnoses and everything became clear. Now that I know my brain is wired differently, I can look after myself differently, right? And now that I have the knowledge and the understanding, my life is radically different and accepting that I am disabled was ultimately the thing that saved me.
Now I have an opportunity both professionally and personally to be loud and vocal and shout about my disabilities so in the short term I can make people feel seen, heard and appreciated, and long term to shift mindsets and culture to make the world more inclusive for people like me!
https://www.linkedin.com/in/tombridges99/