Over the past few years, we have seen a significant change in attitudes toward people who are neuroatypical, on the autism spectrum, ADHD or with information processing disorders. The change in attitude is increasingly projecting itself into workplaces as well, helped by the report "Neurodiverse in the Office.How to design neuro-inclusive workspaces?".
specifics on office customization
© Workplace | Skanska
As part of our #ReportThursday series, we present documents, reports and guides on architecture, cities and local government that are certainly worth publicizing and promoting. This week we look at the report „Neuroinclusive in the Office. How to design neuro-inclusive work spaces?”. The document was compiled by experts from Workplace, Skanska, Impronta, Saints Copywriters and Business Link.
The report's authors focus on three groups
© Workplace | Skanska
What is neurodiversity and how does it translate into our work environment? The authors of the report consider the adaptation of workplaces to neuroatypical people, whose prevalence can vary as much as 15 to 20% across the population. The differences on the spectrum concern, for example, work on the side of stress and time management, work organization, sensory sensitivity or effective communication. We should adjust conditions differently for people with ADHD, and others with dyslexia or dyscalculia. That's what this report is about.
Building an office space with neuroatypical people in mind
© Workplace | Skanska
knowledge is scarce
The issue of neurodiversity, the authors point out, is becoming increasingly popular not only in scientific studies, but also in social media. Interest in neurodiversity is growing because we are curious about how we can make many people feel more comfortable in our shared space.
In addition to indicating what neurodiversity is all about, an important factor in the report is a survey of office workers. The average number of correct answers ranged between 9 and 10 out of a possible 16—regardless of whether we rated our knowledge as very good or stated a lack of it. We hold many beliefs that are not correct, and it is worth undertaking a reflection about them.
survey on perceptions of neuroatypicality issues
© Workplace | Skanska
direction of change
The biggest part of the document, however, is the recommendations for managers as well as architects and interior designers—from how to build office space through the lens of individual workspaces, collaborative workspaces and regeneration spaces.
an example of the recommendations we find in the document
© Workplace | Skanska
The recommendations also address specific sensitivities and how to tailor the office to the appropriate individual needs. The report contains many recommendations for everyone and is an invaluable guide for those who are not indifferent to the fate of neuroatypical people. The publication paves the way in the context of designing on the basis of neurodiversity and taking into account the needs of all people in the office space. If you care about a peaceful, well-conditioned office, it's worth a look.
The report is available for free at neuroinclusive.design.
