A leading flooring designer and manufacturer has embarked on a project drawing on real world experience to improve its products for neurodivergent people.
Architecture and interior design website Material Source Studio reported that Milliken Flooring is working to better understand better how to design a neuro-inclusive workplace and how its flooring products can help in facilitating this.
After identifying gaps in understanding and guidance, Milliken commissioned Henigan Consulting Group (HCG) to carry out research and produce a practical report on how workplaces can be improved for everyone.
The project found that many workplace environments prove to be exceptionally challenging for people who struggle to focus or deal with distraction, regulate emotion, cope with exposure to multiple stimuli or communicate immediately and effectively.
This has been heightened by changes towards hybrid and remote working, with HCG identifying that working from home is often about the ability to control the immediate environment and the ability to do focused, uninterrupted work.
HCG explored sources including academic research papers, output by charities for neurodiversity and research by companies with expertise in specific areas of design. They added personalised insights from a series of qualitative interviews by participants who shared the details of their experiences of being neurodivergent in workplaces built for neurotypical people.
The report said it is estimated that “between 15% and 20% of the global population is considered to be neurodiverse”.
It added that historical trends have shown that neurodivergent people have been disadvantaged in terms of employment, with unemployment rates among neurodivergent people as high as 40% and up to eight times the rate of those who are neurotypical
Noting that sensory overwhelm is often felt more keenly by neurodivergent people, HCG examined the workplace through the lens of the senses to study how simple adaptations can improve comfort, focus and efficiency for all that use a space.
Milliken said that the participants’ real-world experiences “provided an invaluable addition in converting academic theory into cost-effective, practical solutions to improve the workplace experience for all.”
The report summarised that when designing a neuro-inclusive workplace it is “essential to consider choice, flexibility, and autonomy to attract and retain top talent that may otherwise go elsewhere”.
Milliken commented: “Workplaces that provide a variety of settings to suit a range of preferences, coupled with a culture that enables choice and autonomy about where people are when they do their work, empower all colleagues to self-manage their own preferences and needs. “Success comes with creating an office that removes the need to ‘work from home’ as a coping strategy to get work done and makes it a choice. This benefits all the neurodivergent people that make up a dynamic workforce; maximising productivity and comfort whilst fostering a sense of inclusion and accessibility.”