Celebrating Neurodiversity Week: My Life as a Face-Blind Colleague
By Rachel Scott Halls, Director of Library and Archives at BNU
One of my earliest memories was screaming in absolute terror when a beardless stranger in my grandfather's clothes walked down the stairs. Turns out, it was just my grandfather after a shave! Then there was the time I, an awkward teenager, hugged a random guy in the street, thinking he was my dad. Made even more awkward, as we kept bumping into him on holiday! And countless times I've failed to recognize my partner, colleagues, and even my own reflection.
I’d heard of prosopagnosia several times but wasn't until lockdown that I decided to investigate further and did a test with the Social Perception Lab at Dartmouth College in the USA. Which put it beyond doubt, I'm in the bottom 1% for face recognition.
Since then, I've participated in several research studies, helping scientists understand this condition and its opposite, "super recognition". While some stories are funny in hindsight, living with prosopagnosia is genuinely exhausting. Every interaction is a puzzle, piecing together clues: voice, clothes, hair, how someone walks, the context of our conversation. I tend to walk along smiling and nodding at everyone just in case I know them, which has brought with it a whole other set of problems.
Work can be tricky. Conferences and big board meetings? A nightmare. Imagine walking into a room full of "strangers" you're supposed to know. It is really isolating and add a layer of stress to an already stressful and sensorily overstimulating situation.
Prosopagnosia is not currently defined as a neurodivergent condition. However, it is significantly more common in neurodivergent people, particularly those with autism and ADHD. Although research in this area is still new some studies have indicated around 35% of individuals with autism also have face blindness. I have ADHD and ‘strong autistic traits’ (quote from the assessment) and I am only now learning how to work with my face blindness and neurodivergence and not fight against it. On the other hand, I have excellent problem-solving skills and the ability to quickly make connections between different ideas and I am convinced that this is, in part, a skill honed by spending my life puzzling out who I am talking to.
When I started at BNU, I decided to stop hiding the face blindness so much. I now tell people when I meet them. More often than not this is met with understanding and sharing that someone else they know is also face blind. On two occasions it has prompted the other person to share that they also have face blindness. I cannot express how reassuring and comforting that was.
How can you help? Here are a few simple things that are sure to help colleagues like me:
Online meetings: Names on screen are essential. Microsoft Teams does this well, but other meetings on platforms such as Zoom might need your name to be inputted manually.
Conferences: Name badges are vital and sharing a delegate list in advance is incredibly useful (where feasible).
Introductions: Start non-regular meetings with a round of names!
Meeting in public: Let us know what you're wearing, or look out for us.
Say your name: If you approach us, introduce yourself first.
Keep your profile pictures up to date: On your internal accounts, LinkedIn, etc – a recent photo is essential!
Don’t expect to be recognised: Don’t hold it against someone if they don’t recognise you.
If you want to know more about the condition and the are both incredible resource.
17-23 March is Neurodiversity Celebration Week 2025 and there are a range of online activities running at BNU all week.