Re-thinking accessibility: how People Business strengthened its neuro-inclusive design standards
Over 200,000 people in the UK were waiting for a neurodiversity-related diagnosis as of December 2025 – an 82% increase in just two years. This statistic highlights just how common differing cognitive styles are in the workplace. At the same time, many people experience readability and cognitive accessibility challenges, meaning that the way content is designed can significantly affect whether information is easy – or impossible – to engage with. Re-thinking accessibility can have a huge impact.
As a company that has long championed neuro-inclusion, People Business has deep expertise in supporting diverse thinking styles. Our consultants have delivered workshops, coaching, and organisational support for years, and our Neurodiversity in the workplace eLearning equips individuals and teams to communicate inclusively and build environments where everyone can thrive.
But while our knowledge, training, and inclusive behaviours have always been strong pillars of our approach, recently we uncovered an important truth: awareness alone isn’t enough, design matters too.
Looking at neurodiversity through a design lens
Despite our commitment to neuro-inclusion, we had not recently evaluated our visual design, templates and brand assets through an accessibility lens. When we stepped back and performed a design audit, we found issues that hindered readability, especially for neurodivergent individuals.
One key finding was that our signature brand orange with white text did not meet accessibility and readability standards. High contrast ratios are essential for many people with dyslexia, ADHD or visual processing differences, and this colour combination fell short. Recognising this was a turning point: inclusive design needed to sit alongside inclusive behaviour and inclusive practice.
What we changed: building accessibility into the brand
This insight led us to take meaningful action. Over the past months, we have made significant updates to ensure our visual identity aligns with the neuro-inclusive values we promote.
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A refreshed, accessibility-led colour palette
We explored a wider palette that maintains the warmth and energy of the People Business brand while ensuring that contrast ratios support comfortable, accessible reading. This includes rethinking how orange is used and pairing it with colours that offer stronger legibility across digital and printed formats. Discussions within the team reinforced the importance of finding colours that reflect who we are, while still ensuring usability and clarity.
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More sophisticated, accessible templates
We enhanced our training templates and presentation materials to ensure they are not only visually consistent but also designed with cognitive accessibility in mind. This includes improved structure, simplified layouts and more intuitive content flow – guided by the same principles we teach in our workshops.
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Evolving our iconography and visuals
Feedback highlighted that some existing iconography lacked the nuance needed to reflect the complexity of our work. As a result, we are developing more sophisticated, purposeful graphics that better support learning and communication across our training, proposals and leadership development materials.
Why design accessibility matters as much as inclusive behaviour
Inclusive facilitation, communication and cultural awareness remain essential -and these continue to be core aspects of our work and expertise. However, design accessibility is just as important. If materials are difficult to read or cognitively demanding to interpret, even the most inclusive message can get lost.
Accessible design is not simply a stylistic choice; it is a fundamental part of creating equitable experiences, especially for those who process information differently.
Continue your learning: explore our Neurodiversity at work eLearning
If your organisation is looking to strengthen awareness, confidence, and inclusive practice, our Neurodiversity in the workplace eLearning module is an excellent place to start. It covers key concepts, practical strategies, and real-world guidance to support neurodivergent colleagues throughout the employee lifecycle.
Investing in neuro-inclusive design – and behaviour – is how we create workplaces where every mind can thrive.
If your organisation is looking to embrace neurodiversity in the workplace and wants to offer training on inclusion to employees and embed more inclusive practices, contact us and talk to one of our experienced consultants.
