The Edge Magazine Vol. 8

We’re moving away froman outdated medical model that declares neurological differences as something that is broken andmust be fixed and toward a social model that sees the disabling environments as broken and something that must be fixed.

Here’s the unexpected perk: designing sensory-aware workplace environments that support neurodivergent people also support, well, everyone—because not everyone knows that they are neurodivergent. Every human has a distinct sensory composition to process and manage stimuli from spatial and social environments. These senses connect us to everything in our world—and because every brain is wired in its own unique way, everyone interprets and experiences their environments differently. When we design spaces that respect the senses, we not only reduce stress responses—which no one is immune to—but we also support the mental health and overall wellbeing of every employee. Inclusive design for the neurodiverse can offer other benefits, too. People with neurological differences—obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), dyspraxia and social anxiety for example—are the proverbial canary in the coal mine; whether hypersensitive or hyposensitive to stimuli, they will be the first to experience environments neurologically stressful, either through a surplus or a deficit of neurological sensitivity. Yet this same sensitivity often coexists with a high level of creativity, empathy and out-of-the-box thinking. The social challenges experienced by someone with autism, for example, are often overshadowed by an acute memory and critical attention to detail. Similarly, the time management difficulties that someone with ADHD experiences might be eclipsed by creative thinking and ability to hyper focus on important, time sensitive projects.

Neurodivergent colleagues—like Elizabeth—bring a wealth of talent, passion and perspectives to our workplaces. The value that they bring to our companies and organizations underscores the importance of designing mind- and sensory friendly environments that consider lighting, motion, sound, color, smells, temperature and even air quality, all of which can all affect neurological conditions, present themselves in myriad and unpredictable ways and contribute to a growing accumulation of stress in the brain and body. When we’re forced to consistently mask the sensory overload we experience in our environments, it leads to persistent cognitive strain and chronic stress, which reduces our ability to focus, actively listen and connect with others as well as our capacity for creativity, innovation and problem solving. It’s survival mode for the brain and body, often requiring additional time to become anchored and to regulate an overpowered nervous system—and it leads to a forced state of resilience that is neither natural nor sustainable. The result for people is pain and sensory exhaustion; the result for organizations is disengagement and attrition. In other words, chronic stress equals pure burnout. According to a recent report by KPMG , the financial implications of employee burnout add up to at least $4,000 per employee, per year. Multiply that by hundreds, or even thousands, of workers who are under a stress-induced level of burnout, and you have thousands of dollars in lost revenue, not to mention a subset of the workforce that is chronically, toxically stressed.

20 THE EDGE