Understood recognizes that although 1 in 4 people have a learning or thinking difference and 1 in 5 have a disability, the world can feel like it is not structured to accommodate these individuals. Their mission is to provide a community for support and also to connect users with resources, experts, and other tools that can help them succeed. The platform has several sections that cater to different groups, such as families with a child that has a disability or learning/thinking difference, educators who want to better serve their students and cater to differences, young adults navigating school and career-searching, and employers who want to increase access and awareness in the workplace.
The young adults section of the site has several sections that are aimed at tackling all of the challenges that young people face. There is a page devoted to helping students succeed in school, which provides study tips, guides for talking to teachers about your difference or disability, and more. The site is also devoted to assisting those with learning or thinking differences and disabilities find jobs. There are tips for how to search for jobs, advice on disclosing your difference or disability, quizzes to determine interests and talents, and so much more. Mental health is central to Understood’s approach, and users will find content on anxiety, motivation, and more to help them wholly. This site is also extremely young person-friendly, as it does an excellent job of identifying what real challenges young people face and displaying the content in ways young people are receptive to, such as TikTok-style clips that give quick information. There is even a meme page!
