inclusive design

How can inclusive design improve workplace space planning?

Inclusive design impacting your workspace

Inclusive design is not just about designing spaces for children and adults with a diagnosed neurological disorder. Many people are on the spectrum, whether they know it or not, and sensitive design helps us all.

Inclusive design authority AJ Parron – Wildes featured at NeoCon 2019

AJ Parron – Wildes does a lot of design for children in schools with neurological disorders and has a son with severe autism who is now a public speaker. She has often found while doing post- occupancy reviews that, while the children with the acknowledged disorder don’t speak to her, the other ‘normal’ children will come up and say, that *insert design feature* really helps me when I get stressed, or when I can’t think, or when I need to get ideas.

For people with autism, everything is accentuated to be more intense- louder, brighter, stronger. In these distressing environments they are always on the alert: it is impossible to learn and work productively when your brain is taken up by this constant stress.

Neurological disorders are becoming more and more common. In 1990, 1 in 10,000 children were born with a disorder. In 1996 this rose to 1 in 1,000. In 2019, it is 1 in 421. This generation is hitting the workforce and the percentages are only rising. Responsible companies who want to get the best out of their employees will have to embrace and implement inclusive design.

We are eager to successfully apply the learnings from NeoCon 2019. Inclusive design not only increases return on investment for stakeholders as those occupying the space perform better, but it optimises employee’s satisfaction and wellbeing

To find out how we can re-design your working spaces to be inclusive, contact us at ICON INTERIORS!