Neuroinclusive Design: Building Accessible Tech for All Brains
Discover our Neuroinclusive Design resource—a comprehensive guide to creating digital experiences that work for all brains, moving beyond accommodation to proactive inclusion.
Neuroinclusive Design: Building Accessible Tech for All Brains
Moving Beyond Accommodation to Proactive Inclusion
When we design for neurodivergent users, we create better experiences for everyone. This isn't just about accessibility compliance—it's about building digital spaces that work for all brains, not just some.
Our Neuroinclusive Design resource is a comprehensive guide that helps you move from reactive accommodation to proactive inclusion, creating digital experiences that serve diverse thinking patterns and cognitive styles.
The Mindset Shift: From Accommodation to Social Contextual
The key to neuroinclusive design is understanding the fundamental shift from the old accommodation model to the new social contextual model.
Old Model: Accommodation
- Reactive approach
- Fixing people, not systems
- One-off exceptions
- After-the-fact adjustments
- Individual-focused solutions
New Model: Social Contextual
- Proactive approach
- Fixing environments, not people
- Universal design from start
- Built-in accessibility
- System-focused solutions
This shift transforms how we think about design. Instead of waiting for someone to request accommodation, we build systems that naturally support diverse cognitive styles from the beginning.
Four Core Design Principles
The Neuroinclusive Design resource outlines four core principles that guide the creation of digital spaces that work for all brains:
1. Multiple Access Points
Offer information in multiple formats to accommodate different learning styles and processing preferences.
Key Points:
- Visual, written, and audio content options
- Diverse learning style accommodation
- Expanded reach and impact
Practical Example: Provide both video tutorials and written documentation for the same feature. This allows users to choose the format that works best for their brain.
2. Clear Structure
Create predictable, consistent navigation patterns that reduce cognitive load.
Key Points:
- Consistent navigation patterns
- Predictable interface behavior
- Reduced mental effort
Practical Example: Use consistent heading hierarchies (H1 → H2 → H3) and logical tab order. Users can navigate confidently because they know what to expect.
3. Flexible Interaction
Offer different ways to engage and complete tasks based on user preferences.
Key Points:
- Varied input methods
- Alternative task completion
- User choice and autonomy
Practical Example: Allow users to complete forms via keyboard, mouse, or voice input. Different brains prefer different interaction methods.
4. Explicit Communication
Use clear, concrete language that eliminates ambiguity and reduces confusion.
Key Points:
- Simple, direct language
- Avoid jargon and complexity
- Clarity over cleverness
Practical Example: Replace "Click here to proceed" with "Click Submit to save your changes." Clear, specific instructions reduce cognitive load.
Why Neuroinclusive Design Matters
When we design for neurodivergent users, we create better experiences for everyone:
- Reduced Cognitive Load: Clear structure and explicit communication help all users navigate more easily
- Increased Accessibility: Multiple access points ensure information is available in formats that work for different brains
- Better User Experience: Flexible interactions and predictable patterns create more intuitive interfaces
- Expanded Market Reach: Designing for diverse cognitive styles opens your product to more users
- Innovation: Constraints that support neurodivergent users often lead to more creative solutions
The Five-Minute Accessibility Check
The resource includes a quick accessibility check you can perform on any digital product:
- Keyboard Navigation: Can users navigate your entire interface using only the keyboard?
- Color Contrast: Do text and background colors meet WCAG contrast requirements?
- Alt Text: Do all images have descriptive alt text?
- Heading Structure: Is your content organized with proper heading hierarchies?
- Form Labels: Are all form fields clearly labeled and associated with their inputs?
This quick check helps you identify the most critical accessibility issues that affect neurodivergent users.
Video and Podcast Resources
The Neuroinclusive Design resource includes:
- Video Overview: A powerful, bite-sized video recap of neuroinclusive design principles in action
- Podcast Episode: Deep dive into how designing for all brains creates better experiences for everyone
These multimedia resources help you understand the principles in different formats, supporting diverse learning styles.
Weekly Deep Dives & Newsletter Links
The resource connects to our June 2025 newsletter series, which explored neuroinclusive design in depth:
- Week-by-week deep dives into each design principle
- Practical implementation examples
- Real-world case studies
- Community discussions and insights
These newsletter links provide additional context and practical guidance for implementing neuroinclusive design in your own projects.
From Margins to Mainstream
One of the most powerful insights from neuroinclusive design is that when we design for users at the margins, we create better experiences for everyone. Features that support neurodivergent users often benefit all users:
- Clear structure helps everyone navigate more easily
- Multiple access points give users choice in how they consume information
- Flexible interactions accommodate different preferences and abilities
- Explicit communication reduces confusion for all users
Getting Started with Neuroinclusive Design
Ready to start designing for all brains? The Neuroinclusive Design resource is completely free and includes:
- Complete explanation of the four core principles
- Practical examples for each principle
- Five-minute accessibility check guide
- Video and podcast resources
- Links to weekly deep dives and newsletter content
Start with the Five-Minute Check: Perform the quick accessibility check on your current project. Identify one area where you can apply a neuroinclusive design principle, and make that improvement.
The Business Case for Neuroinclusive Design
Beyond creating better user experiences, neuroinclusive design makes business sense:
- Larger Market: Designing for diverse cognitive styles expands your potential user base
- Better Retention: Users who can easily navigate your product are more likely to return
- Reduced Support: Clear, explicit communication reduces user confusion and support requests
- Innovation: Constraints that support neurodivergent users often lead to creative solutions
- Legal Compliance: Proactive inclusion helps meet accessibility requirements
Access the Complete Resource
Visit the Neuroinclusive Design resource to access:
- Complete explanation of the mindset shift from accommodation to social contextual
- Detailed breakdown of the four core design principles
- Five-minute accessibility check guide
- Video and podcast resources
- Links to weekly deep dives and newsletter content
Remember: Neuroinclusive design isn't about perfection—it's about progress. Every improvement you make creates a more accessible, more usable experience for all users.
Ready to design for all brains? Start with the Neuroinclusive Design resource and learn how to create digital experiences that work for everyone, from the margins to the mainstream.
