Neurodiversity 101: Think design for all minds

The other day someone said to me: "It seems to be work for most people" and I questioned what they really meant. They then said...3/4s of people seem to be satisfied... so I said.. that means 25% are not! Is that OK really?

When something works for most people it doesn't mean that it works for all. The underground railway station where there is no access for a wheelchair means someone is being excluded. The shelf that is too high for me to reach means I can't get to the top shelf to get a bowl down. The interviewer that has an expectation that the interviewee will respond to multi-part questions means that someone who needs time to process and remember will be excluded.

How often do we take the things we do easily for granted and have no idea what it is like for some when the doors shut on you or are not even open in the first place?

We can get stuck in a cycle of fixed beliefs driving attitudes which are biased and allowing behaviours to continue again and again.

Good design thinking is all about considering universal design concepts

Design thinking is?a methodology which provides a solution-based approach to solving problems. It's extremely useful when used to tackle complex problems that are ill-defined or unknown. It serves to reframe problems in a person-centric ways, create numerous ideas.

Who is being excluded from workplaces and spaces - both customers and employees?

Peter Drucker,management consultant, educator, and author, was quoted as saying: “The commercial enterprise has two—and only two—basic functions: marketing and innovation” (Forbes, 2012).

There is no doubt for organisations to thrive and survive we need innovative practices.

But ..."The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results." said Albert Einstein

An integrative approach to design starts off by thinking about how we include us all in the activity, product or places

It needs to begin with 3 key elements:

1.Inspiration

You need to be aware of the problem(s) you need to solve and this means listening to a wide range of people and their experiences.... if you don't then the chances are .... you won't know what you don't know!

2. Ideation

You need to create a plan, and test it out. Be ready to get it wrong and be open to making changes.I was taught by an academic researcher many years ago was that you had to ensure you started with the right questions.

“To ask the 'right' question is far more important than to receive the answer. The solution of a problem lies in the understanding of the problem; the answer is not outside the problem, it is in the problem.”

said,?Jiddu Krishnamurti,?Flight of the Eagle

This requires you to really listen to diverse voices otherwise you can repeat the biases that already exist in the system. It also means you need to gather data outside the lens of our own biases. We need to capture the voices of the silent, the quiet and the minority.

It means we may have to also be ready to challenge the status quo... and challenge our past thinking of what is right and what is wrong... and this can be hard and uncomfortable to do.

If we have always done it one way and it seemed to be working for the most of us ( not all!) then why would we want to rock the boat? It means dealing with uncertainty which most of want to avoid at all costs.

“Maturity, one discovers, has everything to do with the acceptance of ‘not knowing.”

said Mark Z. Danielewski,?House of Leaves

Implementation

This third element is not a once and done approach but one that changes and adapts over time so we can improve on it again and again. It is action learning.(*Action Learning is?a process that involves working on real problems, taking action, and learning as individuals, as a team, and as an organization. It helps organisations develop creative, flexible and successful strategies to pressing problems.)

It also means we may need to develop new habits. Do you remember at the start of Covid using Teams and Zoom? Chat, hands up, unmuting seemed such new concepts for many. I even remember delivering some training on how to use these systems... today we jump on a web-call and don't think about it at all.

When designing you need to also consider the feasibility, the viability and the desirability. The latter can be hard to persuade everyone unless they can see the gains made by having a go. '

What's in it for me?' .... is always something we have to consider. However good design can widen the potential usage.

• How many of you use a lift or an escalator rather than taking the stairs?
• How many of you read closed captions even though you can hear what is being said?
• How many of you use speech to text software despite being able to write or type?

Creating solutions means listening to people with lived experiences of engaging in society.In the workplace this may mean focusing on those who have tried to complete an application form and walked away... or those who have the skills to do the job but can't get through the interview process...By doing so we have the chance of creating solutions designed for all and not just for some.

We talk about neurodivergent people being creative, out of the box thinkers, and analysers.Doesn't it then make sense that the people who are ironically excluded from so many areas of society are listened to when it becomes to design thinking? Who knows what could happen? How exciting that could be.

To change thinking in others we need to be prepared to challenge it first within ourselves...

As the Dalai Lama said:

"To be aware of a single shortcoming within oneself is more useful than to be aware of a thousand shortcomings in somebody else"

Also see:https://knowledge.bsigroup.com/products/design-for-the-mind-neurodiversity-and-the-built-environment-guide/standard

Blog Author

I am Amanda Kirby, CEO of?Do-IT Solutions?a tech-for-good company that delivers consultancy and guidance, training and web-based screening tools that have helped 10s of 1000s of people. We strive to deliver person-centered solutions relating to neurodiversity and wellbeing.

This week I gained 90,000+ subscribers so many thanks to all of you and for your feedback too. Do let me know what you like and what you want more of.

I am a mixed bag of experiences and skills and have 25+ years of working in the field of neurodiversity. I am a medical doctor, Professor, and have a Ph.D. in the field of neurodiversity; parent and grandparent to neurodivergent wonderful kids and am neurodivergent myself.

Theo Smith and I wrote the UK award-winning book?Neurodiversity at Work?Drive Innovation, Performance, and Productivity with a Neurodiverse Workforce. My 10th book came out called?Neurodiversity and Education?in March 2023. I was also voted one of the top 20 Thinkers by?HR magazine for 2022!