Neurodivergence and Human Rights
A special issue of Societies (ISSN 2075-4698).
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 January 2026 | Viewed by 64
Special Issue Editors
Interests: human rights; women's rights; international law; sex trafficking; migration and statelessness
Interests: law and legal institutions; US politics; international law; comparative law; human rights
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
This Special Issue arrives at a critical juncture as awareness of neurodiversity grows alongside calls for more comprehensive human rights protections worldwide. We seek to foreground the urgent need to close persistent rights gaps facing neurodivergent populations, particularly through a broad, intersectional lens. The issue invites contributions from a wide array of disciplines—including law, political science, sociology, anthropology, education, psychology, public policy and other humanistic disciplines—to examine the rights and recognition of neurodivergent individuals.
The scope encompasses discussions of how legal institutions, policies and societal norms can both inhibit and advance the rights of neurodivergent people, considering human rights in its broadest possible sense: spanning civil, political, social, economic and cultural domains. Contributors are encouraged to explore the complex ways in which existing frameworks either perpetuate or challenge exclusion and marginalization and to propose innovative approaches to promote equity and justice.
Positioned within an emerging body of literature attentive to intersectionality and justice for neurodivergent people, this issue aims to catalyze interdisciplinary dialogue and actionable insights. Papers addressing historical developments, diverse international contexts and novel policy solutions are especially welcome. Ultimately, "Neurodivergence and Human Rights" seeks to generate new knowledge and practical recommendations to expand recognition, inclusion and robust rights protections for neurodivergent communities globally.
Contributions may include articles, conceptual papers or reviews. Please refer to the journal for examples and specifications.
Prof. Dr. Heather Smith-Cannoy
Prof. Dr. Charles Anthony Smith
Prof. Dr. Connor Strobel
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as conceptual papers are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Societies is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- neurodivergence
- neurodiversity
- human rights
- disability justice
- civil rights
- social inclusion
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