How do we integrate neuro-inclusive design when designing accessible environments?

Until recently, accessibility has largely been focused on designing for the body, now it’s time we designed for the mind too. 

Whenever I meet someone new and we come to the inevitable question of ‘what do you do?’, I almost always get the same response when explaining my job title. After telling someone I’m in accessible and inclusive design (usually paired with a tagline explaining that I work with architects to design for disability and difference), I’m generally hit with a variation of the following question: “so you design ramps?”

And yes, looking at the design of ramps is part of our job. But it’s a very small part of our job (thankfully).

I think that people gravitate towards asking this question because it’s obvious. Physical disability is easier to spot, and so are the barriers. If a wheelchair user or someone with a pram or broken leg is struggling to get into a building, it’s noticeable. What’s less obvious is the people avoiding a space because the crowds, colours or lights are overstimulating. What we need to acknowledge is that these barriers are just as important to understand, and remove, even if they aren’t as visible.

With 15-20% of our community experiencing neurodivergence, the benefits for organisations and designers to consider their environments beyond the physical are immense.

Neurodiversity, put simply, is a term used to describe the unique ways in which people’s brains work, where differing neurological profiles are considered part of natural human variation. So that we’re all on the same page, the term neurodivergence includes (but is certainly not limited to) ADHD, autism, learning differences such as dyslexia and dysgraphia, dyspraxia, OCD, Tourette Syndrome and balance and vestibular conditions; and is often discussed alongside neurodegenerative conditions such as Parkinson's. In the same way that we have (and need) biodiversity in our landscapes, we have neurodiversity between people's brains. When someone is neurodivergent, they will often experience differences in sensory processing and communication from what society considers typical. 

That last part is important, because what society considers typical is not necessarily correct or up-to-date. As Todd Rose points out in his book ‘The End of Average’, often when we design for the average, we design for no one.

Instead, we should be working towards designing environments that promote choice and flexibility. To design for a range of physical differences alongside a variety of neurological and cognitive ones. It’s important that we do this with intersectionality at the forefront of our minds. Just because someone has a physical disability doesn’t mean that they aren't neurodivergent or experiencing other barriers because of their gender, age, faith or socio-economic status. Nor are neurodivergent conditions mutually exclusive, meaning that someone can have multiple neurodivergent conditions, being hypersensitive (sensory avoiding) to some stimuli, and hypersensitive (sensory seeking) to others.

I can guess what you’re thinking, that’s all good and well but how do we do this?

There are four key steps to ensure that our designs leave no one behind:

Step 1: Build it into the brief

When you’re defining the population at the beginning of a project, be specific. Discuss designing for physical, cognitive and sensory differences from the outset, and have an open conversation in your organisation or design team if people are unfamiliar with neurodiversity and disability.

The RIBA Inclusive Design Overlay is a helpful reference for organisations that might be unsure how to do this. You can read more about that here.

Step 2: Stakeholder engagement

Now that designing for neurodiversity is embedded in the brief, it’s time to speak to people with lived experience and understand how designing for neurodiversity will work for your organisation and visitors. Talking to your stakeholders is vital to making sure that design solutions are contextual.

Stakeholder engagement allows us to value lived experience as expertise, and often highlights why designing for neurodiversity is important and how we can design and prioritise solutions.

It’s easy to get stuck in an echo-chamber and listen to the same and loudest voices. Not to say that these voices aren’t important, but everyone (particularly our neurodivergent community) communicates in different ways. Asking direct questions might be ideal to engage with one person, whereas writing a story, sketching ideas or touching materials might be better for others. It’s not only important for us to be creating inclusive environments, but also inclusive ways to collaborate.

Just because someone communicates in a different way, doesn’t make it any less valid.

It’s also important to consider and engage with people who aren’t working or visiting your space (we like to refer to this group as your ‘potential’ users). For example, your potential users could include top-performing employees who aren’t working with you because of the invisible barriers (poor acoustics, bad lighting, no quiet spaces), or museum visitors who are under-engaged because there isn’t any multi-sensory engagement. We need to find, and engage with these potential users so that we can embed their needs in the design to attract and retain talent and visitors.

Step 3: Guidance and research 

Now we’re getting into the tangible design elements (these are the things that I tell people about when I get asked ‘so you just design ramps’). When we are designing for neurodiversity, the guidance and research often leads us to designing with clarity, control and calmness in mind.

Providing clarity through considerate wayfinding, clear signage, pre-visit information (such as sensory maps) and good lines of sight is helpful to reduce anxiety and cognitive load. A sense of control in the environment (either through adjustable elements, or choice of quieter or stimulating routes) helps to accommodate for people who are sensory avoiding and sensory seeking. And finally, providing calm environments, such as quiet rooms or zones, allows people to recalibrate when they do become overwhelmed.

The primary guidance we look to is ‘PAS:6463 - Design for the Mind - Neurodiversity and the Built Environment’ (BSI) which has been pivotal in shaping inclusive design since 2022. PAS:6463 provides practical recommendations on designing for neurodiversity across 10 key areas:

• Site and building layouts

• Wayfinding

• External spaces and access

• Internal layouts

• Mechanical, electrical, plumbing (MEP)

• Acoustics and noise management

• Light, lighting and reflection

• Surface finishes

• Fixtures, fittings and furniture

• Safety, recovery and quiet spaces

We won’t go into the specifics, but this guidance provides a foundation for how to design for sensory and cognitive differences. In a similar way that our building regulations set out that a ramp should be no steeper than 1:12, this good practice guidance provides specific acoustic values, lighting levels and transitions, patterns to avoid and fonts to use so that environments are clearer, easy to navigate and less likely to cause sensory overload.

Alongside PAS:6463 there are a number of other good practice guidance documents we can refer to alongside research that promotes creative thinking, stakeholder engagement, the design of quiet and sensory rooms and the design preferences of neurodivergent people.

Step 4: Creativity

Typically, architects view accessibility (particularly the building regulations) as inhibiting. I get it, you’re worried that consultants are going to come in and strip away anything fun about a design. But white-box architecture that’s devoid of any sensory stimulation isn’t fun for anyone, including neurodivergent people.

Rather than removing all sensory aspects within a design, which we all know isn’t possible, one thing that we can do is provide predictability and clarity within the environment.

The exciting, and perhaps daunting, thing about neuro-inclusive design is that the solutions don’t necessarily exist yet.

Unlike designing a ramp, there is no one way to achieve a neuro-inclusive environment. Instead, we should be combining our stakeholder engagement insights alongside the research and guidance to develop new, contextual solutions. This is an incredible opportunity for designers to set a precedent.

For example, recent research has shown that 73% of neurodivergent participants (in a study of around 300 neurodivergent people) would prefer to learn about a space before entering. How we achieve this predictability will, and should be, contextual based on the building and organisation. Maybe sensory maps could be provided, or a mezzanine level looking into the space before you enter, or maybe there’s a glass door or wall that allows for a view into the space before you enter. The way this predictability is designed can be creative, but it is vital in creating environments that are accessible for people with neurological and sensory processing differences. 

Some barriers are obvious, others less so. But they should be considered equally as important. Creating neuro-inclusive environments isn't just a checkbox exercise, it’s a blueprint for a calmer, more intuitive world for everyone. 



Madeleine has experience working on a variety of projects covering workplaces, public realm, aviation, education and cultural/community spaces, often bringing a focus to designing for neurodiversity, stakeholder engagement and intersectionality. She has recently published research and regularly guest lectures on the relationship between designing for neurodiversity and architectural excellence.

If we can help evolve your next project, get in touch with our team to discuss more.

Written by:

Madeleine Granland
Senior Accessibility & Inclusive Design Consultant

Madeleine is passionate about the using best practice guidance and research alongside co-design process to create contextual, inclusive and equitable experiences within the built environment. Her experience extends across projects in UK, United States, KSA and Australia. She has experience working on a variety of projects covering workplaces, public realm, aviation, education and cultural/community spaces, often bringing a focus to designing for neurodiversity and intersectionality.

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