Synopsis

Healthcare staff are among the most exposed workforce groups to high-demand, sensory-intensive environments. Long working hours, open-plan workplaces, unpredictable noise, harsh lighting, and limited restorative spaces compound occupational stress. For neurodivergent staff, these conditions can be profoundly disabling. Everyday sensory inputs: sound, light, colour, and pattern can be overwhelming, leading to discomfort, anxiety, and distress. Yet the design needs of neurodivergent healthcare workers, estimated at 15-20% of staff, remain largely absent from evidence-based design frameworks, workforce wellbeing strategies, and capital project briefs. This presentation addresses the gap between neuroinclusive design intent and the lived reality of neurodivergent staff in Irish healthcare settings. It explores neurodiversity and work from the perspective of a neurodivergent healthcare professional, challenging the notion that neurodiversity is itself a disability, rather than a consequence of insufficient societal awareness and adaptation. Practical design interventions in the clinical environment are proposed to support neurodivergent professionals in flourishing, rather than struggling, at work. Drawing on emerging best practice in inclusive design and the salutogenic model, which frames health as a dynamic, positive state shaped by environmental, social, and personal resources, the presentation examines how the built environment can support or undermine staff wellbeing, cognitive performance, and retention. Key design considerations include acoustic comfort, lighting quality, sensory zoning, wayfinding, access to quiet and decompression spaces, and nature-informed design. The presentation highlights evidence-informed strategies that benefit all staff through a universal design lens, recognising that what supports neurodivergent individuals ultimately works better for everyone.