Strengths in Practice: Designing Neuroinclusive Services and Spaces (Recording)

How do we move from understanding neurodiversity to designing systems that actually work for people?

In many workplaces and services, inclusion relies on individuals explaining their needs, requesting adjustments, or navigating processes that were never designed with variation in mind. This can unintentionally create situations where people must disclose personal information or work harder just to participate.

This session takes a strengths-led, systems-focused approach to neuroinclusion, exploring how everyday practices, environments, and expectations can be designed to support a wider range of thinking styles, energy levels, and processing needs.

Rather than focusing on diagnoses or individual differences, the session looks at how systems shape experience and how small design shifts can reduce cognitive load, remove hidden barriers, and allow strengths to emerge.

Through practical examples and reflective tools, you’ll learn how to spot where systems rely on confidence, memory, or unspoken rules—and how to redesign them to create clearer, more inclusive experiences for colleagues and users.

In this session, you will explore:

A strengths-led understanding of neurodiversity and why context matters
How everyday systems can unintentionally create forced disclosure
The concept of cognitive load and how it affects participation and performance
Using the Veil of Ignorance as a practical fairness test for services and processes
The difference between accommodation and inclusive design
Simple, practical ways to reduce friction and create neuroinclusive environments

Who this session is for

This session is particularly relevant for:

Library and information professionals
Educators and academic support staff
Managers and team leaders
Anyone designing services, spaces, or workplace processes

No prior knowledge of neurodiversity is required.

What you’ll receive

With this recording you’ll get access to:

The full 2-hour session recording
The presentation slides
Downloadable worksheets and tools, including:
- The Veil of Ignorance fairness check
- A Cognitive Load spotter
- A strengths-led redesign tool
- A simple action planning guide

These resources are designed to help you move from awareness to practical, everyday changes.

Key idea from the session

Good systems don’t rely on people having confidence, energy, or the “right” kind of brain on the day. They create clarity and support so that more people can contribute their strengths.

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