To what extent should you make accommodations for "time blindness"?

[ChedderGorgeous]

If a worker says they have "time blindness", what extent, if any, should you make accommodations for them in the workplace ? For example should they always have a 15 minute grace period for meetings and any agenda items involving them be moved to later in the meeting as a matter of course? Should you not be able to schedule meetings with them which are time critical ? My feeling is that if someone has "time blindness" then they should make changes in their day to day management to accommodate this in order to work as per their contract, rather like someone who gets the train, might get the train before , to ensure they get to work even if there are rail delays . AIBU ?

It is quite hard to think of a job where timeliness doesn't matter though?

It's easier to accommodate for time blindness in the personal sphere. E.g. meeting poor time managers at their house or in a nice pub. And don't book tix to see shows with them.

But I think it's a lot more difficult in the workplace. Especially for meetings and projects with large numbers involved.

Quite possibly it is normal and something most people have to do, however I have heard irl and online people who are ND talking about how doing all this is another example of the extra work they have to do unlike neurotypicals. It was also discussed with me about doing this in the support tutor I had at university.

I think it does get really tricky as lots of the things people with ADHD or any other ND diagnosis say they struggle with are also things lots of people without any diagnosis struggle with so for a limited example getting focused, staying focused, remembering things, switching tasks, being stuck, sense of time and so on. I think it is almost more common to have these kinds of issues than not to have them. However saying this is extremely invalidating for people who find a lot of solace in their diagnosis.

Quite possibly it is normal and something most people have to do, however I have heard irl and online people who are ND talking about how doing all this is another example of the extra work they have to do unlike neurotypicals.

I think you're right that there is a really strong - and in my view unhelpful - rhetoric around this. A lot of ND content makes it seem like being NT means never having any problems or struggling with anything ever.

Exactly. I'd be pissed off. People should be expected to sort it out themselves. Why should everyone else accept being delayed?

Most people, yes.

People with time blindness do miss flights though.

It's very common with ADHD, so common in fact that it is often referred to as part of the 'adhd tax' due to the extra expenses and loss of earnings it can cause.

No matter how much you try to mitigate it every single day of your life in everything you do, sometimes you have a bad day and you can miss really important things.

It's not a choice, or a moral failing. It's a symptom of a neurological disability.

@MoreDangerousThanAWomanScorned I agree with you completely on this point. I think lots of people have really distorted expectations and assumptions about what other people experience and how easy things are supposed to be, like is tough for everyone.

There is so much technology around now that I don't believe anyone has any excuse for being late, watches, tablets and laptops are capable of multiple reminders. It just plain rude to claim time-blindness.

It's rude to say you have a disability?

I'm astonished by the number of posters here who don't believe this exists, and who say "ah, but I bet you' turn up in time for X" as though it's some sort of gotcha, I can safely say that no, we don't manage to turn up on time even for really important things. We can manage, with huge amounts of effort, but the effort required is such that we can't sustain it enough even for hugely important appointments and deadlines with life-changing consequences. Pretty much every one of those "I bet you'd be on time for X" examples is something I've failed to be on time for. I also turn up to work because I haven't realised I'm on annual leave, or arrive several hours early because I've got confused and left the house at the wrong time.

I think that just demonstrates that you don't really understand time blindness.

Absolutely none.
I spoke with someone the other day who said they had mess blindness, it’s just dumb talk for being lazy.

Ableism is alive and kicking on this thread.

Do you consider all disabilities as laziness or just specific ones?

That's a bit like saying to someone with dementia that everyone forgets things sometimes.

It's when something affects your daily life to the point that it's debilitating, and causing depression, or loss of normal life opportunities, or a break down, or suicidal thoughts, then it's definitely an issue you need to check out with your GP. You might have a neurological disability like ADHD, and need support.

I’ve reported your post, but just in case you’re not intentionally trying to wind people up…

do you think psychiatrists and eminent professionals are taking the piss when they discuss problems like these? Do you think that perhaps their years of research, hours of analytical study, years of time spent with patients, brain scans etc are bogus?

you know better?

But it does affect my daily life!

None, in my organisation everything is time critical (within seconds to execute and settle trades) so … none. It’s not a place for people who cannot self-manage their time

I reported too. Ableist crap.

Yeah it's very disheartening isn't it.

I try to take solace in the fact that at least these conversations are happening finally, as this a necessary step on the path towards greater societal understanding of ADHD and other disorders and increasing compassion for those affected by them.

Perhaps you should look into it, as I suggested.

With all the suggestions of giving a colleague the responsibility of reminding someone about tasks and meetings, collecting them in time and taking to the meetings. How will that be organised? Good will? Official instruction? What happens if this colleague is off, or caught up in their own job, is it their responsibility to pass on the role to someone else or their fault if colleague with time blindness misses meeting or is late?

I would think it would be part of management's role to figure this out. Making adjustments for disabilities is already a legal requirement so it's likely there are ways already figured out.

I am torn on this. I work in the nhs and have seen so many exhausted doctors and nurses hanging around waiting for colleagues to take over so they can go home from their long tiring shift. The same people being late every time. It doesn’t feel fair.

But then I have an acute sense of time. I can guess what time it is with pretty good accuracy and have never needed an alarm
clock as I can tell myself what time I need to wake up and wake up. If I am at one end of the spectrum, then it follows that some people could be at the extreme other.