Presenter: Dr. Sonia Rahimi, Carleton University

The overarching purpose of our research is to create a targeted, yet widely adaptable, set of recommended practices that standards development professionals can use to apply a neurodivergent lens to the development of standards. Standards are used everywhere in society – such as workplaces, schools, recreation centres, healthcare, and transportation. They can be applied to guide and ensure specific levels of safety, quality, and accessibility of many areas of life as well as providing expectations on how to use products or provide services. For example, in public buildings (e.g., shopping malls/schools), some standards are having fluorescent lighting, signs for washrooms, elevators, and exits, and opening and closing hours. These standards impact how people experience and navigate the environments that they are in. However, if standards are developed without accounting for the diverse ways that neurodivergent people experience and navigate society, this can create barriers to inclusion and participation for neurodivergent people. Through consultations with the neurodivergent community, and consultations with standards development professionals, facilitators and barriers to inclusion were found. Based on these results, we are currently developing a set of recommended practices for neuroinclusion that can be applied at different stages of the standards development process. Our session will provide attendees an opportunity to discuss these topics and share their experiences and suggestions for neuroinclusion in standards development.