Accessible communication is essential for any business to succeed. An opinion shared by many for a while and is now being supported by facts!
Inclusive conversations create trust and help ensure that everyone understands what they need to do. Most assume someone will tell them if accommodation is needed. But research shows this is not the case. Recent studies found that:
51% of neurodivergent employees don’t feel safe sharing their neurodiversity at work. (City & Guilds Neurodiversity Index 2025 Link)
78% of neurodivergent entrepreneurs feel they have to hide their neurodiversity to avoid judgment. (The Entrepreneurs Network Neurodiverse Founders Study Link)
These statistics reveal a critical issue — Highlighting the importance of using accessible language everyday.
Inaccessible communication creates barriers that affect productivity, engagement, and trust. In contrast, businesses that commit to inclusive practices see positive results (more on that in a moment).
This blog will share practical steps, useful resources and insightful knowledge. All to help you make your communication more inclusive. Keep reading to learn how small changes can make a big difference — plus the (not so) surprising impact accessibility has on staff turnover, according to new ACAS research!
Let us start by delving deeper into the benefits of accessible communication. Discovering why communicating this way strengthens relationships, supports your team, and ensures compliance.
It might not be a surprise to you that being inclusive can improve those key relationships. But some of the ways it does this are unexpected. Here are just some:
During my Bold Type training with Ettie Bailey-King, I learned about an interesting study. In it, a group of doctors were given the choice between two versions of the same research paper. Exactly the same information, except one was written in simple language. Most turned that one down, believing they didn’t need it. But when the choice was taken away, and simple language was used as standard, they agreed it was easier to read and understand.
This proves that clear communication benefits everyone, including highly skilled professionals. Meaning you will reach a broader audience because your content is easier to engage with.
Simple communication isn’t just for neurodivergent individuals. It also helps people affected by their situation. Like someone feeling unwell, trying to read in a noisy setting, or using their phone instead of a computer. Being accessible first removes barriers, making information easier to process in any situation.
Clear, inclusive messaging makes it easier for people to interact with your business. Which in turn increases customer loyalty.
When information is presented in an accessible way, fewer mistakes happen. Leading to stronger relationships and more successful outcomes.
A business that prioritises inclusivity demonstrates ethical values and builds trust with clients and partners. It can even help you find new business from those who share your ethos.
With the current governments aim to get more disabled people back to work, it is important to start getting support in place. But how will it affect your business? by:
An inclusive environment makes employees feel valued, increasing staff retention. A great place to start is providing interview questions to all applicants.
In ACAS research, one small business reduced its staff turnover to 8%. They achieved this by incorporating neuroinclusion proactively. Saving that business time, money and talent.
This is a huge impact, especially when compared to the national average of 34%. You can read the ACAS research here: Support Neurodiverse Staff
Neurodivergent employees help drive innovation. We see and experience the world differently. Meaning we bring fresh and diverse perspectives to your team. Improving the teams problem-solving and creativity.
Accessibility fosters a supportive and collaborative work environment. Another factor that has been linked to reducing staff turnover. Even when it does not affect them personally, employees that are not proud of their employer will often leave.
It seems like a no brainer that employees work more effectively when they have access to clear, accessible communication and a diverse team. A supported team is one that can perform better and achieve their goals.
The National Autistic Society highlights that autistic individuals often prefer direct, precise language and may struggle with ambiguous or overly complex communication. We will cover some tips later, but you can also learn more from the National Autistic Society directly with this link: Autism and Communication
Being accessible is no longer a choice in many areas. Here are some of the rules you should be aware of:
The Equality Act 2010 requires businesses to provide accessible training and development.
The EAA 2025 will introduce new accessibility standards for EU traders. Something that the UK could be required to adopted, in order to get good trade deals. Even if it is not though, you may find you lose EU business if you are not compliant. Again this comes back to many businesses making more and more supplier choices based off of shared values.
Prioritising accessibility reduces the chances of discrimination claims or compliance penalties. A no brainer when you think about it.
Did you know that accessible websites rank better in search engines? Making it easier for customers to find your business.
UK web accessibility laws require businesses to follow WCAG 2.1 Level AA standards under the Public Sector Bodies Accessibility Regulations 2018. The charity Scope has some great guides, that we used to improve our own website. Here is a link to one: Colour contrast accessibility.
Scope also reports that around 1.5 million people in the UK have a learning disability. With an estimated 1 in 10 people being dyslexic. This simply reinforces the need for accessible communication. You can use this link to Scopes article on your responsibilities: UK Law and digital accessibility.
Providing accessible communication starts by understanding how information is processed.
Neurodivergent individuals in particular, face a range of challenges. Plus they will vary from person to person, including in intensity.
Tailoring communication therefor is essential. In a one-to-one scenario, you can work together to find what works for everyone. In group settings you have to be more strategic and find that happy medium, as some may have conflicting needs.
Here are some of the challenges we have found, along with some accommodations to help get you started.
This term refers to how the brain experiences and reacts to information. Regardless of the form it takes, such as verbal or written instructions.
Challenges:
Accommodations:
✅ Use clear, simple language – Keep instructions concise and structured to reduce misunderstandings.
✅ Allow extra processing time before action is required – Where possible, let individuals revisit decisions rather than expecting immediate responses.
✅ Share meeting agendas in advance – Providing agendas beforehand allows participants to prepare, think through their questions, and engage meaningfully. For employees, ensure they have dedicated, uninterrupted time for this before the meeting.
✅ Enable note-taking and provide meeting summaries – Offer action-point summaries through a PA or with tools like AI transcription, ensuring key details are captured for future reference.
✅ Break up meetings into sections and include breaks – Structured discussions help prevent overwhelm.
✅ Encourage Movement - People have various focus styles allow them to fidget if needed makes it easier for individuals to absorb information. This can include pacing not just using a spinner fidget!
Similar to sensory challenges around sight, visual processing is about what information our brains take in with our eyes. For those who are under or over sensitive to visual stimuli, there can be additional difficulties.
Challenges:
Accommodations:
✅ Reduce visual "busyness" - Keep designs clean and structured to improve it's readability. Use tricks like:✅ Check your contrast accessibility score – Tools like Coolors’ contrast checker help you stay compliant and offer auto-enhancement features to improve designs. Here is the link: Contrast Checker
✅ Adjust letter and line spacing – Keep text readable at all sizes. Did you know the minimum recommended size is 12-14? The British Dyslexia Association’s style guide offers best practices for font choices and spacing. Here is the link: Dyslexia friendly style guide.
✅ Use left-aligned text and bullet points – This has been shown to improve readability for everyone, including neurodivergent individuals. It's especially good for those who skim read.
✅ Consider accessibility widgets carefully – While extremely useful, be aware that some can disrupt screen reader functionality.
✅ Ensure alt text describes images well – Alt text should provide an equally enjoyable experience. Not just basic descriptions that feel like AI. Disabled by Society does a fantastic job of this over on Linkedin! Check them out here: Disabled by Society
Similar to sensory challenges around hearing, auditory processing is about what information our brains take in through our ears. For those who are under or over sensitive to audio stimuli, there can be additional difficulties.
Challenges:Accommodations:
✅ Reduce background noise - Here are some places you can start:
✅ Back up verbal instructions with written ones - Anything from formal meeting notes to a quick text summary. This helps confirm everyone's expectations and understandings.
✅ Offer subtitles / captions for video content – Transcripts too whenever possible to improve accessibility.
✅ Allow speed control for videos – Many platforms have playback speed options now, so ensure that the one you choose does. I personally watch many videos on up to x2 when I need to really focus on the information provided.
✅ Bonus Tip! Be mindful of tone and volume – For example someone who is hard of hearing may need you to speak up. That does not mean they want you to switch tone too though. People also struggle with accents, tone of voice and speed of talking. For customers, offering alternative representatives can help. For employees, building rapport ensures they feel comfortable requesting adjustments.
Executive functioning refers to the mental abilities needed in order to plan, organise, prioritise, and make decisions. Neurodivergent individuals typically experience challenges in one or more of these areas. Whilst normally referred to as "skills", these are not things which a neurodivergent person can change or develop. Although it is worth pointing out that situational factors can impact how much they will struggle with each one. For example, someone who already struggles with impulse control will find it even tougher when they are burnt out.
Challenges:
Accommodations:
✅ Again, allow extra processing time - With longer cooling off periods for both clients and employees.
✅ Make changing decisions easy and welcoming - Ensure the process of changing their mind, or coming back with questions is simple. So individuals feel safe revisiting choices or requesting adjustments.
✅ Show compassion and understanding around negative responses – Acknowledge that emotional outbursts and knee-jerk reactions may be linked to executive functioning challenges. Follow up with meetings in a brave space to discuss things openly.
✅ Be mindful of shared spaces – Consider others when using communal areas like staff rooms or rent-a-desk spaces. For example, using headphones instead of playing the radio aloud ensures fairness for everyone.
✅ Give notice – Advise of any changes or potential changes in advance.
✅ Reduce uncertainty by providing clear answers – Uncertainty breeds anxiety. Offer detailed responses, repeat information over time if needed, and provide guides or videos for ongoing reference.
✅ Encourage people to grab a drink/snack before meetings - Normalising this practice helps prevent additional focus issues caused by dehydration or hunger.
✅ Keep snacks and water accessible in meeting rooms - So individuals can help themselves as the meeting goes on.
✅ Invite others to join when grabbing refreshments - Creating a simple reminder for those who struggle to do this for themselves.
✅ Clarify priorities in written communication – When assigning tasks, structure emails or messages with "What, by When, and Why" formatting. Thanks to Ellie Middleton's book for this tip! (Link here: Unmasked). This removes ambiguity and helps neurodivergent individuals navigate expectations effectively.
✅ Break down requests into clear steps – Instead of saying, "Let’s get started on this project," outline specific first actions like, "Begin by reviewing the client notes and drafting three key points for discussion."
✅ Offer a check-in or body doubling – Offer to follow up with them at an agreed time. This is called accountability support and works well for those with ADHD in particular. So does the next step up of this, which is called body doubling. This is when you sit or virtually sit in with them whilst they do the thing or get going at least. You can be doing other things, but your presence helps them focus.
✅ Send gentle reminders or nudges as we call them – If you know or suspect that someone is going to loose track of meetings or commitments, send them a little nudge like "Just checking you are still OK for our meeting at 2pm?" If you are sending this close enough to the meeting, you can a little self-care nudge with "I'm just grabbing myself a cup of tea, and then I can join the call."
These areas impact how individuals perceive and process stimuli in their environment. Neurodivergents typically experience over-sensitivity or under-sensitivity. This can naturally effect engagement in conversations, meetings, and other workplace / business communication.
Challenges:
Accommodations:
✅ Adjust lighting - Use warm, dimmable lighting to reduce fluorescent glare. For example, desk lamps offer a more comfortable lighting alternatives to overhead lights.
✅ Improve readability in documents – Use clean formatting, generous spacing, and dyslexia-friendly fonts to prevent visual overwhelm.
✅ Minimise background noise – Provide noise-cancelling headphones and ear plugs like Loops, move even quick meetings into quiet spaces, and invest in good microphones for virtual calls.
✅ Switch to fresh and light scents – Ensure shared spaces have good ventilation, and change to eco brands for air fresheners. Eco brands are typically not as strong as artificial scents.
✅ Expand food options – Offer diverse menu choices at business meetings. You could even give staff a snack budget so they choose themselves!
✅ Respect sensory boundaries – Allow alternatives to handshakes, minimise physical contact expectations, and provide comfortable seating arrangements.
✅ Provide accessible seating options – Avoid high stools, low seating or standing-only meetings. If you can offer a range of style seats and textures to suited individual sensory needs such as wobble cushions, saddle chairs and Pipersong chairs.
✅ Design for movement – Opt for curved corners and choose a layout that provides wide spaces between desks and other equipment. This is to allow for ease of movement and reduce injury. Apply coloured tape to the ground for extra help navigating around furniture.
You probably noticed that many of these challenges cross over with each other. There are three other areas of difficulty that will impact your communication, but didn't fit neatly into the other sections.
Challenges:
Accommodations:
✅ Support alternative engagement styles – Reduce unnecessary expectations, by encouraging individuals to express their needs. You can start this by allowing movement in meetings, and being flexible with camera requirements in virtual ones. Discuss it as a team, learn from each other and adapt.
✅ Clarify ambiguous phrases – Try to avoid idioms altogether, and say exactly what you mean through direct language. For example switching “Could you try to get this to me before lunch?” to “I need this by 11:30am, let me know if you have any problems.”).
✅ Don't assume knowledge – Offer the details when it matters and welcome questions without judgment.
We have covered a lot of potential accommodations in this blog. Believe it or not, these are only some of the things you could be doing, and we encourage you to get creative! But we also understand that making these changes can be overwhelming, so where can you start?
Digital and physical environments should be tested for accessibility. Use WCAG standards to ensure online content is user-friendly, and seek direct feedback from neurodivergent employees or clients to refine designs beyond compliance. You could start by comparing your designs to the Goverment's guidlines from 2016. Here is the link: Dos and don'ts on designing for accessibility
People process information in different ways, so you will never find a one size fits all solution. By providing options like video captions, structured meeting notes, and audio alternatives, you allow individuals to engage in ways that work for them.
Accessibility isn’t just about design, it’s also about clarity in writing. Avoid jargon, industry slang, and unnecessary complexity. Doing this in all areas of communication from policies and contracts to client phone calls. Start thinking about your choice of words and prioritise direct, structured language to support neurodivergent individuals.
It's likely that your existing documents contain barriers that you never noticed before. Be that your website or internal how to guides. Plan an audit of policies, guides, and training materials to ensure they follow inclusive communication principles. It's a good idea to do this regularly as knowledge and tools around accessibility are always changing and improving.
Inclusive communication requires constant improvement. Build in processes that allow neurodivergent voices to be heard and celebrated. Through things like regular staff reviews, anonymous surveys, and open discussions. Spread awareness and highlight potential advocates and allies, by encouraging the addition of neurotypes and accessibility needs in email signatures. For larger organisations this has the added impact of feeling understood by upper management, and showcasing how diverse your business truely is.
Inclusivity shouldn’t be an afterthought. Training staff on neurodivergent communication needs ensures accommodations are practiced daily, rather than treated as optional adjustments. Whilst it can be tempting to lean on the personal experiences of existing team members, this can be a lot of pressure and we recommend getting in an expert like we did with Ettie Bailey-King.
If you are seeking your next employee, think about what your advert and interview process is saying about your business. Share interview questions in advance (with everyone), do not include executive function abilities as requirements on the ad and avoid AI screening. Which has been found to be discriminatory in the past.
Accessible communication is about creating environments where everyone can engage effectively. Those businesses that prioritise inclusivity proactively;
Your first step towards accessible communication is discovering what barriers already exist. Approach this challenge with curiosity, remembering that accessible language helps everyone not just those with disclosed disabilities. If you recall the statistics we shared at the start, then at least half the neurodivergent people you know will not be sharing their needs with you. So by being accessible first, you are enabling them to showcase their skills without fear of discrimination.
At Watmore & Co Accounting, we believe that poor communication around your finances, specifically accounting and bookkeeping, often leads to serious consequences. Internally, it can contribute to departments overspending and externally, it can disrupt critical relationships through poor credit control. Both of these things, lead to potentially damaging cash flow outcomes. Something that we saw supported in the UK Government's findings back in November 2023.
Amongst others, the government’s report cited these key statistics:
You can read the full report here: Payment and Cash Flow Review 2023
- FSB estimates that 50,000 small to medium-sized enterprises close each year due to cash flow problems.
- Intuit QuickBooks estimates that across the UK, 56.4 million hours are spent annually chasing overdue and late payments. The equivalent to more than a single working week for a typical small business.
- Whereas Xero estimates that late payments cost small businesses £684 million each year.
The statics quoted from Xero were from actual from a two part series. In that research Xero were looking at the impact of cash flow to small businesses and how they compared across Australia, New Zealand and the UK. Here's what else they found:
Cash flow challenges undermine the growth and operations of at least 9 in 10 small businesses in the UK. They also reported that "the average UK small business faces cash flow crunches for more than four months each year, with almost one in four (23%) experiencing it for more than six months each year."
They describe a "cash flow crunch" as where your monthly expenses exceed your monthly sales. You can read the full report here: Crunch: Cash flow challenges facing small businesses part 1.
How can Watmore and Co. help? We offer support as external accountants to ensure that not only are your accounts complete on time, that they are also accessible to everyone in your business. We specialise in supporting neurodivergent and disabled individuals, ensuring that barriers are removed and confidence restored. Whether you are a solopreneur or a director of a medium sized business we can support you. Book a call today to see just how we can help you secure a more stable and accessible financial future.
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