Neuroelevity Tenet 2: Design for Neurodivergence, Not Compliance: Moving Beyond ADA Retrofits Toward Access by Design

When conversations about accessibility arise, they often revolve around compliance—checking boxes to satisfy the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Compliance ensures legality; it does not ensure inclusion. It’s the minimum threshold, not the ideal. The second Neuroelevity Tenet—“Design for Neurodivergence, Not Compliance: Move from ADA retrofits to access by design”—calls for a deeper transformation. It asks us to move from reactive adjustments toward environments, systems, and cultures where access is intentionally woven into the fabric of everything we create.

From Compliance to Access by Design

“ADA retrofits” are the accessibility equivalent of patchwork. They appear when an existing space or system fails to meet someone’s needs, prompting an after-the-fact fix. Maybe a student requests noise-canceling headphones in a noisy classroom, or an employee advocates for flexible communication options after struggling in meetings. These fixes help—but they also highlight a design process that didn’t account for diverse neurological experiences from the start.

Access by Design reverses that pattern. It doesn’t wait for someone to ask for help; it anticipates the broad range of sensory, cognitive, and emotional differences that people bring. It builds inclusion into the blueprint. When we design with neurodivergent individuals in mind from the beginning, access becomes rhetorical— an accepted norm for how things work.

What Access by Design Looks Like

Access by design is not about special accommodations, but rather it’s about flexibility and choice that serve everyone. It can exist in any context: schools, workplaces, digital spaces, and communities.

In education, access by design might include:

• Multiple ways for students to show understanding—projects, visuals, discussions, or written work—without needing special permission.

• Classrooms with flexible lighting, clear routines, and quiet zones available for any student who needs them.

• Sensory tools and self-regulation strategies integrated into the learning environment as part of the culture, not as “extras.”

In the workplace, it can mean:

• Communication channels that respect different processing styles—email follow-ups after meetings, visual summaries, or asynchronous options.

• Sensory-considerate workspaces with softer lighting, adjustable sound levels, and opportunities for movement.

• A focus on results and well-being rather than rigid attendance or uniform work styles.

In digital and community spaces, access by design involves:

• Predictable navigation, plain language, and adjustable text for cognitive clarity.

• Intentional design choices that reduce sensory overload.

• Processes that welcome feedback and evolve alongside the people they serve.

  
  

Redefining Access as a Core Value

Designing for neurodivergence reframes access as a creative responsibility rather than a legal obligation. It says, “You belong here by design,” instead of “We’ll make room for you once you ask.” That shift changes everything.

When access is embedded from the start, we no longer rely on individuals to self-advocate or disclose diagnoses just to participate. Instead, systems themselves are adaptive, responsive, and humane. This approach honors neurodivergent brilliance as integral to innovation and community—not as an exception needing accommodation.

Access by design is ultimately an act of respect. It reflects a belief that diversity of thought, sensory experience, and communication enriches all of us. It’s about building environments that don’t just meet minimum standards but elevate human potential.

The goal isn’t to comply. The goal is to connect—to create spaces where everyone, neurodivergent or not, is considered from the beginning.