Making Events Truly Inclusive: Why ‘Perfect’ is the Enemy of ‘Good’

10 Feb

When planning an event, accessibility often feels like an all-or-nothing challenge. Organisers worry about cost, complexity, and whether they’re getting everything exactly right. The fear of falling short can lead to inaction—but here’s the truth: you don’t need to be perfect to make a difference. Neuroinclusion isn’t about expensive overhauls or flawless execution; it’s about removing barriers, one step at a time.

At Welcome Brain, we work with organisations across the events industry, helping them make events more accessible to neurodivergent attendees, speakers, and exhibitors. One of the biggest challenges we encounter is perfection paralysis—the idea that if you can’t do everything, you shouldn’t do anything. But progress always beats perfection.

The key to neuroinclusive events is simple: small, thoughtful changes can have a huge impact. The first step is understanding the barriers neurodivergent people face and taking action to address them.

The Barriers Neurodivergent Attendees Face at Events

Many traditional event spaces and formats can unintentionally exclude neurodivergent individuals, creating barriers that prevent full participation. These challenges include:

1. Overwhelming Sensory Environments

Events are often loud, bright, and unpredictable, which can be distressing for people with sensory sensitivities. Common issues include:

Harsh fluorescent lighting or flashing displays.
Overpowering background noise from crowds, music, or PA systems.
Strong smells from catering, air fresheners, or cleaning products.

Solution: Create a sensory map of your venue, showing attendees where high-sensory areas (e.g., main stage, networking areas) and low-sensory areas (e.g., quiet rooms, breakout spaces) are located. Consider providing noise-cancelling headphones or designated quiet zones with dim lighting.

2. Anxiety Around Navigation and Logistics

For many neurodivergent attendees, the uncertainty of getting to and around an event can be overwhelming. Common concerns include:

Unclear signage and wayfinding at large venues.
The stress of navigating public transport to an unfamiliar location.
Uncertainty about where to check in or who to approach for help.

Solution: Reduce the unknown by providing pre-event materials that show, not just tell. A simple way to do this is by recording a short video guide showing:

The journey from the nearest public transport hub to the venue entrance.
The check-in process, including what staff will look like.
A virtual walkthrough of key spaces like the main stage, breakout rooms, and catering areas.

This small step can significantly reduce pre-event anxiety and help neurodivergent attendees feel more prepared.

3. Social and Networking Challenges

Many events rely on traditional networking formats, assuming that all attendees are comfortable with spontaneous interactions, unstructured conversations, and large social settings. This can be daunting for neurodivergent individuals who:

Struggle with small talk or reading social cues.
Find it difficult to enter conversations in large groups.
Prefer structured communication over open-ended discussions.

Solution: Offer alternative networking options, such as:

A "buddy system" where attendees can be paired with a like-minded individual in advance.
A quiet networking space with conversation prompts to help break the ice.
Digital networking options (such as an event Slack or WhatsApp group) where attendees can connect before, during, and after the event.

4. Information Overload and Unclear Schedules

Many event programmes are packed with dense schedules, last-minute changes, and overwhelming amounts of information, making it difficult for some attendees to process and retain key details.

Solution: Make event information as clear and predictable as possible by:

Providing a simplified schedule that highlights essential sessions and breaks.
Using consistent formatting for all event communications, avoiding unnecessary complexity.
Sending reminders via email or text, reinforcing key event details in a digestible format.

Bonus Tip: Use icons and colour coding to indicate different event activities (e.g., networking, panels, workshops), making it easier to navigate at a glance.

Small Changes, Big Impact: Easy Ways to Make Your Event More Neuroinclusive

Neuroinclusion doesn’t have to be expensive or time-consuming. Many of the most impactful changes are easy to implement:

Provide sensory-friendly spaces – Set up designated quiet areas where attendees can decompress.
Offer multiple formats for participation – Live stream sessions, provide captioning, or allow pre-recorded speaker contributions.
Train staff on neuroinclusive event practices – Even a short briefing on neurodiversity can improve attendee experience.
Allow flexible registration options – Some attendees may struggle with long forms; consider offering a simple email RSVP.

Neuroinclusion is a Journey, Not a Destination

Creating a fully neuroinclusive event is an ongoing process, but you don’t have to get everything right at once. The key is to start. Every step you take makes your event more accessible and welcoming, and once these changes are in place, they become second nature.

At Welcome Brain, we’ve worked with event organisers to develop The Neurodiversity in Events Checklist, a practical tool that helps make neuroinclusive event planning simple and actionable.

If you’re an event organiser looking to make your events truly accessible, we can help. Whether through consulting, training, or resources, we make neuroinclusion easy, effective, and achievable.