BACKGROUND Future

Universal design breaks down barriers and focuses on a holistic approach to support all, no matter what their needs or labels. It provides optimizations for every individual and, in turn, each team and the entire company. Thus, supporting neurodiversity in a workplace varies by person, as each person requires different types and levels of accommodations. This varying level of needs has often led to a struggle for employees who require more adjustments, putting the unemployment rate for those individuals as high as 80%. But what companies are finally learning is by supporting a wider range of individuals and levels of needs, they gain employees with different strengths and gifts, leading to an overall better workplace.

The Neurodiversity Toolkit proposed in this document focuses on the ways to support a truly universal design within corporate office spaces so neurodiversity can thrive. Understanding that the high rate of unemployment for those with greater needs can be due to a lack of accommodations within the typical interview processes, lack of awareness, lack of employer training and lack of adjustments within the workplace, the tool aims to mitigate the issues within the physical environment to help employees thrive once they find the right employment. These design solutions will draw in a wider field of employees and increase retention. The strategies aim to address the spectrum of neurological differences in order to support each employee, resulting in a happier and more productive workforce.

We start by evaluating a variety of overarching neurological differences to better understand how varying aspects of the built environment can impact individuals. We then consolidate those findings into six experience categories that affect all employees. Finally, we create strategies organized into sections to support each experience category, so teams can easily implement the right solutions.