Thinking differently

With as many as one in five people diagnosed as neurodivergent, there's huge scope for conferences to become more inclusive – but is the sector staying abreast of what’s needed?

A bustling international meeting packed with thousands of delegates can be an intimidating prospect for anyone. But for neurodivergent delegates - maybe struggling with social anxiety, sensory overload, or just the stress of making complicated travel arrangements - it can be overwhelming.

Research by industry wellbeing and mental health charity Eventwell revealed that 85 per cent of people who are neurodivergent have not gone to an event for fear of it all being ‘too much’.

Helen Moon, CEO and founder of Eventwell, has made it her mission to help those, ‘who would otherwise have to hide in the toilets or hang outside with the smokers’. Her charity provides mental wellbeing hubs and quiet rooms to stop a stimulating event like an annual congress turning into a stressful or exhausting experience. She said many of the delegates who use their spaces have told her they had only decided to attend the event because they knew a quiet room was available.

"The neurodivergent movement is about everybody's equality, not just ours," explains Moon, who wants organisers to do more than pay lip service to the idea of inclusivity. "We hear so much from people who say, 'it's really important, we want to be doing all we can', and then they just don't make budget allocations for accommodations like this. If it is important to you, then you will allocate and protect the budget to make it happen."

Estimates vary, but between one in seven and one in five people are neurodivergent, a term that encompasses attention deficit disorders, autism, dyslexia, dyspraxia and more.

Alice Reeves, co-founder of Joyfully Different, a not-for-profit community and learning hub ‘for neurodivergent business owners’, says catering to a neurodiverse audience benefits everybody.

“If you focus on neuro-inclusivity, everyone who goes to that event will have a better event experience,” she says. "One of the things that is common to many, many neurodivergent people are the challenges in navigating expectations around social interaction and communication.

“It is exclusionary if you go, 'Oh, well, if you have a problem in here, there's a sensory room over there where you can just go and be quiet'. Instead, you need to make sure you are making the whole event as inclusive as possible."

"It can be the difference between someone going or not going to an event..."

With the industry at a stage ‘where there is a lot more conversation about neuro-inclusion but not necessarily the knowledge to put that into practice’, Joyfully Different hopes to shed some light.

Reeves says the aim should be to make events inclusive ‘without people having to advocate for their needs’, and much can be achieved with minor adjustments, for example keeping sound levels reasonable throughout the event space and making sure icebreakers are optional.

She argues that applying the level of clear and explicit instructions needed to make travel easier for a neurodivergent delegate, ‘even down to a photo of what the door looks like’, will help every attendee. It should mean better attendance too, as ‘it can be the difference between an individual going or not going to the event because they will stress so much about being able to get there’.

Clare Beach, PCO and managing director of Azura Events, feels the industry is slowly catching on to what’s needed, but has faced resistance from some clients. Her own diagnosis with autism and ADHD helped deepen her understanding of what delegates may need.

“Now I am aware how I am affected, I can see it in other people and be more supportive and try to build in elements to our planning, the way we communicate and the way we deliver our conferences”.

With a roster of scientific associations on Azura’s books, along with quiet rooms she pays attention to small but significant details like lanyards that indicate whether or not people want any physical contact, or a buddy system to help nervous newcomers make introductions to other attendees.

“You don’t have to put a massive budget into it, you can just earmark a room with natural light, some chairs, some magazines… the main thing is the messaging explaining what it’s there for, not for a particular group of people but for everybody. Anybody can get overwhelmed; anybody can want to have 20 minutes of quiet.”

"Avoid bright fluorescent artificial lighting. Find natural daylight if possible..."

Top tips from Joyfully Different on neuro-inclusivity

Offer a quiet space where anyone can take 15 minutes to self-regulate: Eventwell’s rooms are designed to offer a safe place for anyone who needs it
Avoid bright fluorescent artificial lighting; find natural daylight if possible
If you are using slides, keep text large and legible (and check the colour accessibility)
Warn the audience ahead of sudden changes in lighting
Make sure sound is really clear, but that microphones are not excessively loud - where possible, provide disposable earplugs or noise-cancelling headphones that can be returned at the end of the session
If you are going to have background music, ensure it is light and calming
Ask event staff to avoid wearing strong perfume, and steer clear of artificial scents and air fresheners
Make sure icebreakers are optional, or there are multiple ways to participate: make the instructions explicit for those taking part so people understand what is expected of them
Send out a clear timetable ahead of the event; avoid last-minute changes where possible
Include physical signage at the event as well as in a digital format
Use pronoun badges if possible; transgender and gender-diverse adults are up to six times more likely as cisgender adults to be diagnosed as autistic ³
Find a way to identify if people want to be approached: you can use a red/ orange/ green lanyard system or a wristband that flips between red or green to indicate if you want to be left alone.

Where to find out more:

Visit www.theneuproject.com to download An Event Professional’s Guide to NeuroInclusion
Eventwell help event professionals access help and support and are soon launching an event wellness training course that will be available online - visit https://eventwell.org/support/
Head to https://joyfullydifferent.co/ for details of Joyfully Different’s virtual and in-person events
IMEX’s Knowledge and Events Director, Dale Hudson, launched the AVoice4All initiative this year with the aim of encouraging the meetings industry to prioritise individual inclusivity within EDI (Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion) - search ‘AVoice4All’ on LinkedIn to find out more