It is estimated that 15 to 20% of the global population is neurodiverse and that number is growing. This has drawn attention from companies to developing an inclusive culture that creates work environments to support a neurodiverse workforce.
People, whether neurodivergent or not, interpret their workspaces differently. The same environment that relaxes or energizes some people can overwhelm others. The constant sounds and motions of a conventional workplace, for example, can lead your neurodiverse colleague to confusion, distraction, and sensory overload.
The same patterns of lines, shapes and colors that some find attractive in a work environment can generate an excessive visual stimulus to others and make them feel vertigo or disabling sensations. In other words, an aesthetic design – however well intentioned – is not always inclusive.
Designing spaces for diverse users puts us on a closer path to creating less stressful and more comfortable places to work.
Fortunately, we are moving away from an old-fashioned medical diagnosis that considers differences between neurological and disease and towards a social model that has revised disabling environments.
Neurodivergent colleagues bring a wealth of talent, passion and perspectives to our workplaces, hence the importance of designing mind- and sense-friendly environments that consider lighting, movement, sound, color, smells, temperature and even the quality of the environment. air.
Points that must be considered in a truly inclusive design:
Handy temperature control
It gives workers control over the indoor climate of their workspaces and increases their comfort and productivity levels.
Acoustic design with noise suppression
It reduces the distraction of noise and offers rest for the mind and nervous system. This can be especially helpful for people with misophonia, a hypersensitivity to sound that can trigger anxiety, anger and stress.
Indoor air quality
With air filtration systems to improve the quality of the indoor environment, it can be an ally for people with hyperosmia, an increased sensitivity to smell
Hypersensitive workstations
Workspaces or islands with low-key, neutral design provide low-stimulation environments and reduce sensory overload
Circadian lighting
Simulates biological rhythms and provides signals to the brain that mimic the natural light we would find outside the office, which helps our body identify the times of day and transition to nighttime activities such as slowing down, resting and eventually sleeping
Mind-friendly design patterns
Allows people to perceive, process and organize themselves spatially without harming their senses
Organization, predictability and guidance
Addresses cognitive differences and neurodiverse thought processes and reduces disorientation and frustration for workers who may struggle to find their way in offices with complex layouts
Inclusive technology
Voice recognition software, computer screen filters or digital recorders show appreciation for the many ways people do their work
We are on the verge of discovering the uniqueness and complexity that reside in neurodivergent populations. Dyslexia, for example, currently affects one in five people, according to recent Yale research. It is estimated that over 13% of the population suffers from TDAH.
Forty years ago, it was believed that autism affected one in 2,000 people, today it is believed to be one in 54. It is safe to say that few people have not had their lives touched in some way by neurodiversity – whether through self-diagnosis or of close people.
Designing sensory-aware environments to support neurodiversity benefits everyone. When we design spaces that respect the senses, we not only reduce stress responses, we also support the well-being of every employee.
Marina Andrade, Project Manager at Cushman & Wakefield, says that within the concepts of Workplace strategies, it is understood that one of the most important is the transition process of people and organizations to a new way of doing things. This implies the management of the human processes inherent to the change to guarantee the achievement of the proposed objectives. According to her, through execution strategies and action plans that involve, engage and enable employees to adopt and adapt new tools, processes and guidelines for the use of spaces:
‘‘Science still knows little about how physical space influences us, but there are already many studies that prove that the environment is capable of shaping our behavior. Outlining the research and communication strategy, in its different forms of language, based on the inter and multidisciplinary nature of our team, makes us strengthen relationships, value experiences and make change positive, generating greater acceptance of the workspace resumption plan. Neuroscience and Psychology permeate our methodology resulting in more objective and assertive actions’’, he concludes.
