Universal design principles for the office

A PEOPLES OT guide to creating inclusive, accessible workspaces for neurodivergent adults. These recommendations align with occupational therapy frameworks, neurodiversity-affirming practice, and UK equality guidance.

What is Universal Design?

Universal Design (UD) means creating environments that work for everyone. It reduces the need to make individual adjustments as inclusion for all is considered as a baseline.

In an office, UD supports:

• focus and attention

• emotional regulation

• communication

• sensory comfort

• autonomy and participation

• overall productivity

1. Make your physical environment accessible

• Use clear signage for shared resources and spaces with simple language or icons.

• Position shared resources centrally, rather than directly in front of or behind an individual.

• Ensure walkways and travel paths are wide enough to manoeuvre straight through.

• Reduce visual clutter in shared areas.

• Use neural colours where possible and avoid overstimulating décor.

2. Make your digital environment accessible

• Use consistent layouts for shared drives, folders, and documents.

• Provide templates for reports, emails, and workflows.

• Use consistent, searchable terminology across systems.

• Ensure documents meet basic accessibility standards (clear headings, readable fonts, good contrast, and compatibility with screen readers).

• Ensure all training videos include closed captions.

3. Make information and expectations accessible

• Share meeting agendas in advance, with clear aims and timings where possible.

• Provide key information and instructions in written form, even if also shared verbally.

• Break instructions into clear, manageable steps.

• Avoid relying on implied or unwritten expectations.

• Summarise key actions and decisions after meetings.

• Use plain language and avoid using idioms, lots of acronyms, or jargon.

4. Support sensory regulation

• Offer quiet zones or low-stimulus rooms where possible

• Ensure all hot food is eaten in the break room rather than in the main office

• Use adjustable lighting (warm light, dimmable lamps, avoid flicker) and noise reducing strategies (soft furnishings, acoustic panels) where possible.

• Allow movement breaks without stigma.

• Support the use of sensory tools (such as ear defenders, fidgets, weighted lap pads).

5. Provide predictability and routine

• Have a new starter handbook which explains workplaces norms – see PEOPLES Occupational Therapy New Starter Workbook resource.

• Avoid last minute changes to plans where possible.

• Communicate any changes with as much notice as possible.

• Include visual schedules for longer projects.

• Make role expectations clear.

6. Reduce executive function demands

• Use shared project boards (Trello, Asana, whiteboards).

• Create checklists for recurring tasks.

• Use colour-coded systems for documents and priorities.

• Chunk tasks into smaller steps.

• Protected focus time (no-meeting blocks) across the company

7. Make inclusive policies & culture

• Offer flexible hours and hybrid working where possible.

• Provide clear reasonable adjustments pathways.

• Train managers in neuro-affirming practice.

• Celebrate diverse strengths and communication styles.

• Avoid “one right way” to work.

PEOPLES OT offer training, workplace consultation, audits, and neurodiversity affirming policy development led by Dr Teresa Joyce. For more information contact teresajoyce@peoplesot.co.uk‍ ‍