According to a report by the British Council for Offices, those who belong to the neurodiverse community are currently unsupported in the current employment ecosystem.
Watch the Video
Supporting the Range of Variability in Neurodiversity
A significant principle of neurodiversity is the belief that it is not the pathology of a condition that causes a disability. It’s actually caused by a culture is only equipped to support a small range of variability.
Understanding the difference can help create a new framework for approaching design, and the ability to make society more just and inclusive, says The British Council for Offices (BCO).
Their report integrates the health aspects of an office environment with how these affect access to employment for those who identify as neurodiverse. It also outlines the considerations that built environment practitioners can take to make offices enabling environments, and the crucial role of more inclusive designs.
The Characteristics of Neurodiversity-Enabling Spaces
The report specifically defines an enabling work environment to be one that supports the mental, social, psychological, and physical health of those inhabiting the space. The characteristics of enabling spaces include:
Equity – A space that shows an understanding of the root causes that influence people’s needs
Safety – A space that provides a sense of psychological safety to people, that they will not be made vulnerable by poor decision-making
Intuitive – A space that is created with intent rather than ego, that is clear to use and that does not leave a person guessing
Healing – A space that lessens the biological stress burden through the design of comforts and physical elements, ensuring environmental consistencies and freedom for all people to use the space based on their personal needs
Health – A space that shows an understanding of how various physical comforts can support mental and physical health
Diverse – A space that is agile and intentionally offers a variety of options to meet the varying cognitive demands [social, restorative, concentration] on a given day
Dignity – A space that allows a person to belong, to know that they are no longer othered or made vulnerable
Ecological – Design solutions should not place any further burden on the Earth’s systems, and should play a role in mitigating the climate crisis
Supporting a Wide Range of Needs
As well as considering the characteristics that make an enabling environment, it is important to consider that like all communities, the neurodiverse community is complex and contains a wide range of people with a wide range of needs.
Therefore, each office space is an opportunity to build a unique and nuanced relationship with the people who will inhabit that space. The report highlights that this starts with creating a set of methods that will delineate how the design team, client and employees will engage in an equitable collaboration with the purpose of creating an enabling environment.
These methods include observation of a “day in the life” composite to understand users’ needs, testing design concepts to ensure they are fit for purpose and a flexible approach to make further changes down the line.
A Call for Regulatory Change
Through thinking of the office space beyond employment and as part of a wide societal ecosystem, the BCO is advocating support for the neurodiverse community through design choices that deliver the ability to begin to shift the narrative from productivity to healing.
When labour and its physical condition put people’s health at risk it can have a wide societal impact by placing a burden on the NHS and impeding people from developing to their full potential and even playing a role in future health inequities.
The BCO is therefore calling for more inclusive design and regulatory change, with this new research proposing recommendations that should be adopted for elements of building design to make buildings more accessible to the neurodiverse community and to protect the mental and physical health of neurodivergent people.
Churchill Group and On Verve Mark Neurodiversity Celebration Week 2023
Churchill Group has marked Neurodiversity Celebration Week 2023 by signing the Neurodiversity in Business charter and inviting Bianca Angelico to speak about her lived...
Spotlight Interview – Lee Chambers | Essentialise Workplace Wellbeing
In this Spotlight Interview, we speak to psychologist, entrepreneur and workplace wellbeing specialist Lee Chambers.
Lee Chambers is the Founder of Essentialise...
New Built Environment Design Standard Addresses Neurodiversity Inequality
A new building design standard has been created to ensure that the built environment is accessible to both people with physical disabilities and neurodivergent people...
Accessible Facilities for Autism – Bristol Airport
The business case for a more accessible travel experience is clear – but how can built environment professionals make public spaces such as airports less stressful...
Workplace Wellbeing Agency to Bring Inclusive Wellness to SMEs
Aiming to promote inclusive and measurable wellbeing to SMEs, Lee Chambers is sharing his experience of accessing corporate wellbeing as a young black...
Looking to attend an educational Pride Month event this June? ThisWeekinFM has produced a collection of professional events to help businesses learn how to build a more...
Sodexo Welcomes 24 Interns Under 10,000 Black Interns Programme
FM company Sodexo is welcoming 24 paid interns as part of the 10,000 Black Interns Programme.
The premise of 10,000 Black interns is to offer transformative career...
ThisWeekinFM’s high-performing buildings roundup features more regional winners from the British Council for Offices awards.
Winners from the Midlands and...
FM Qualifications at the College of Central London
Qualifications are essential to gaining recognition and respect. Our mission is to provide skills and knowledge to help you achieve success in IWFM level 5 and 6. Click Image To Read More
Voice Of The Facilities Manager
Take part in the inaugural Voice of the Facilities Manager survey from MRI Software. Three lucky respondents will win £150 worth of Amazon vouchers! Click Image To Read More
Installer Show 2023 - Renewable Liquid Fuel Appliances
Rinnai’s stand at the forthcoming Installer Show will feature carbon reducing Bio-LPG and DME fuelled hot water heating units. Click Image To Read More
Energy Transition Update
American subsidies and pan-European motivation to locate energies that do not enrich Russian military action in Ukraine are fuelling multiple clean energy projects across every continent. Click Image To Read More
The UK's Electric Grid - Can It Really Cope With NetZero?
Rinnai’s Chris Goggin explores how wider electrification of the UK domestic & commercial energy mix could influence decarbonisation efforts and customer choices of heating and hot water appliances. Click Image To Read More
Efficient Facility Services: How to Achieve More with Smarter Scheduling & Planning
How leading facilities management firms are using advanced planning and scheduling techniques to keep employees and customers happy while operating efficiently and profitably. Click Image To Read More
Rinnai's NEW & FREE - Heating & Hot Water System Design Service
Rinnai is now offering a NEW and FREE customer service that designs the ideal heating and hot water system suited specifically to the customer’s property requirements. Click Image To Read More
Understand Your Options & Invest Wisely In Training Solutions
An explosion in the type of training available and how it can be accessed is providing a range of new technological training solutions for the cleaning industry. Click Image To Read More
Global FoodService Chain Embraces Rinnai's H1/H2/H3 Concept into UK Programme
Rinnai’s concept of utilising the best available solution for heating and hot water needs on any given commercial site has been embraced by a global foodservice & retail chain, now in the process of updating UK outlets to be as low carbon as possible. Click Image To Read More
BP & Centrica Plan Huge Northern England Hydrogen Projects
Multiple hydrogen projects, valued into billions of pounds, are being pursued in northern England by large energy companies such as BP, Centrica, Lhyfe and Equinor. Click Image To Read More
ThisWeekinFM – Headline Media Partner
Visit our dedicated EMEX Playlist For All Our Energy Management Focus Interviews. Click Image To Read More