Sound
Background audio, PA announcements, scanners, HVAC, alarms, machinery, hand dryers, traffic, sudden sound.
- Describe sources, variability, quieter zones and what can safely be changed.
15 access domains
The Access Profile describes conditions, not diagnoses.
Lighting + visual environment
Daylight, LED/fluorescent fixtures, glare, exposed bulbs, screens, flashing content, reflective floors, clutter.
- Record what exists and which controls or lower-glare zones are available.
Crowding + human density
Entrance congestion, checkout, elevators, peak periods, events, school release, holidays.
- Separate crowd-generated load from the building itself and publish calmer periods only when evidence supports them.
Waiting + queues
Standing queues, seating, numbered queues, estimated wait, text notification, outside/vehicle wait, re-entry.
- Waiting is an access condition, not just an inconvenience.
Communication
Speech demand, writing, text, AAC, visual menus, kiosks, processing time, support person, no phone-only route.
- Preserve communication when speech becomes difficult.
Predictability
Arrival, entrance, security, expected interaction, maps, restroom, length, payment, exit, alarms.
- Know Before You Go should reduce uncertainty before a person is already overloaded.
Regulation + recovery
Quiet seating, lower-load room, outdoor recovery, sensory tools, temporary retreat space.
- Offer options; do not assume everyone wants isolation or darkness.
Smell + air
Perfume, cleaners, cooking, salon chemicals, automotive chemicals, air fresheners, smoke, ventilation.
- Publish strong recurring exposures and practical alternatives where possible.
Temperature + tactile
Heat/cold, drafts, uniforms/PPE, close contact, required touch, seating texture, crowded seating.
- Relevant especially in healthcare, personal services, manufacturing and recreation.
Movement + body regulation
Pacing, standing, rocking, movement breaks, alternative seating, outdoor breaks.
- Sometimes the accommodation is permission to move, not a product.
Service process
Arrive → enter → locate → wait → communicate → transact → leave.
- Audit the actual journey rather than architecture alone.
Digital access
Online appointments, forms, text/email/chat, accessible menus, low-animation options, instructions.
- A usable building can still be blocked by an inaccessible website or phone-only process.
Staff readiness
Recognize overload, reduce demands, offer writing, allow processing time, know resources and escalation routes.
- Training should answer what staff do in the actual interaction.
Employee neuroinclusion
Recruitment, interviews, onboarding, written expectations, workspace, breaks, management and accommodation process.
- Customer access and an eight-hour work shift are different use cases.
Safety + emergency
Alarms, strobes, screening, bag checks, touch, exits, emergency communication.
- Predict safety-critical events without promising a silent emergency.
Site installation standard
Access must exist before overload.
ACCESS POINT
Visible sign/Beacon before someone has to explain themselves at length.
SERVICE POINT
Kit and communication tools reachable immediately—not locked three offices away.
LOWER-LOAD POINT
Quieter waiting, outdoor option, screened zone or room depending on the site.
RESET POINT
Clean/return separation, inspection, replenishment and product quarantine.