EQUITABILITY

In this section we focus on the importance of equitability through design. While design cannot solve all the problematic factors listed here, it can play a role by creating equitable employment ecosystems. It is important to understand how to create a just society across all domains and bring forward social inclusivity for the neurodiverse community. Some important terms and factors to consider when it comes to office space and neurodiversity are discussed.

RIGHT TO EMPLOYMENT

In our society, employment is an important avenue for people to create self-determination and identity, and to provide for themselves and others. Neurodivergent workers received an added, tangible means of protection in the UK with the passing of the Equality Act 2010, as they are likely to be considered ‘disabled’ within the meaning of the Act, and disability is a protected characteristic.81 Even though the definition of ‘disability’ in this legislation focuses primarily on conditions that affect a person’s ability to carry out their day-to-day activities, the important factor is how it provides legal protection against discrimination, harassment and victimisation that relates to a person’s condition. Employers also have a duty and responsibility to orchestrate an employment ecosystem that can support natural variances in human experience, as everyone has the right to employment.

GASLIGHTING

Gaslighting is a societal colloquialism that can be understood as a set of behaviours, actions and statements that make someone question their own reality.75 This, in turn, takes away the person’s agency and, with long-term exposure, can lead to lowered self-esteem. In the workplace, many individuals or organisations may not have a common understanding of how conditions under the neurodiversity umbrella manifest or feel. When this is paired with an absence of tools or resources to understand neurodiversity, it can lead to organisational gaslighting of a neurodivergent person. As we were told in the interviews, this can range between something as subtle as being told ‘you are being too sensitive’ to something more systemic such as ‘being talked over and ignored’ whenever a person brings up a complaint about the space. The gaslighting of neurodiverse people is not only incredibly mentally debilitating and harmful, but it can also prevent them from accessing services, either due to stigma about requiring support due to an undiagnosed or non-pathological condition, or due to financial implications for the workplace. A way to alleviate some of this social stress is to create varied and flexible spaces that neurodiverse people can adapt to their daily needs with little managerial intervention.

WHO HAS THE JOB SECURITY TO ‘COMPLAIN’?

As many industries move towards contract work, third-party employment and more nuanced work environments, such as start-ups, workers who are not near the top of hierarchies may not receive the protections that allow them to complain about their conditions. This is specifically relevant to people working as essential workers in the office space or the delivery workers coming into the building. There may not be avenues set up to even be able to ask for a break room that suits their sensorial needs, or spaces to go for restoration. Furthermore, they may experience sensory overload from machinery that are told is ‘out of the control’ of management, thus ending the conversation and possibly a person’s employment. Therefore, those who make spaces should consider equitable design, meaning creating restorative spaces that are accessible to all people, supportive acoustics in all areas and comprehensible wayfinding, so all those who interact with the space can selforientate easily. If the office space is playing its part in the ecosystem, it can alleviate the burden on the neurodivergent person and help dismantle inequitable social hierarchies.

WHO HAS THE JOB SECURITY TO TAKE DAYS OFF FOR RECOVERY?

Not everyone is offered job security. For example, a person on a zero-hours contract will not be paid for sick days, or a person may be in a position with little autonomy. Such people may not have the ability to ask for days off to recover from stress, and may experience a sense of being overwhelmed, or even succumb to burnout syndrome. Therefore, office design needs to consider how those who have little or no agency can be supported.

INTERSECTIONS WITH RACE, GENDER AND CLASS

Neurodiversity can intersect with racialisation, gender discrimination or class marginalisation. Therefore, it is important to understand how these additional societal burdens can impact equitability.

• Racialisation can play a role in how well a person is heard. A racialised person we interviewed mentioned that their race has played a role in how they are taken into consideration, and that they often feel ignored or diminished.

• People who are non-binary or identify as a woman may have to navigate highly complex social hierarchies. They may also experience sexual harassment, gaslighting of their identity, discrimination or not being promoted. All of this can be very difficult to manage, especially for those who are neurodiverse, creating a plethora of stress points and the risk that a person will leave employment.

• Due to the way in which society is organised, a person’s class can remove their agency to ask for help, to apply for a promotion or to express discomfort. In one of our interviews, a person who works at reception expressed how they were often patronised or spoken over, and how this had an effect on how they perceived themselves.

• Creating spaces that feel safe for everyone is an essential consideration in office design. Of course, to achieve such spaces requires a collaboration between the physical space and the work culture. ■