Is your team actually inclusive? A simple checklist
Most teams say they're inclusive and say it with good intentions. However, far fewer can point to what they actually do differently because of it. This is a short checklist to help you find the gap between the two, plus a clear look at why closing that gap matters, legally and commercially.
Why it matters
It's part of the law. Under the Equality Act 2010, disability is a protected characteristic, and many neurodivergent conditions such as autism, ADHD and dyslexia can fall under it. Employers are expected to make reasonable adjustments: practical changes that remove disadvantages a person faces at work. What counts as "reasonable" depends on your context, including the size of your organisation and the difference the change would make. The point for most teams is simpler than the detail: supporting people to work well isn't just good practice, it's built into the framework everyone already operates in. (This is general information, not legal advice.)
It impacts performance and retention. People who have to spend energy masking, compensating or fighting for basic adjustments have less energy left for the actual work. They also burn out. Replacing someone typically costs a large chunk of their salary once you factor in recruitment, lost productivity and training. Inclusion isn't a nice-to-have running alongside performance; it's part of what produces it.
A quick myth. Adjustments don't mean lowering the bar or letting things slide. They mean removing the obstacles between a capable person and their work, so more gets done, not less. A clearer brief, a quiet hour, an agenda in advance: these change how the work happens, not whether it happens. You just stop losing good work to avoidable friction.
It's wider than neurodivergence. Almost everything that helps a neurodivergent person helps others too. Clear written instructions help someone working in their second language. A shared agenda helps a parent who has thirty minutes between meetings and the school run. Predictable processes help anyone new, anyone from a different professional or cultural background, anyone who can't yet read the unwritten rules of your particular workplace. Design for the edges and the middle benefits too.
The honest part: it takes effort
Inclusion is often sold as a mindset. It isn't. It's cognitive and organisational work. Sending the agenda early, writing the brief clearly, checking who hasn't spoken, offering a quiet space: each may seem small, but they take attention and intention. They have to be built into how you operate or they quietly stop happening the moment someone's busy. The teams that get this right don't rely on good intentions. They make the behaviour routine.
The checklist
Read through and score each honestly: yes, sometimes, or not really. Think about what you actually do now, not what you could do in principle.
Meetings
Everyone gets the agenda with enough time to prepare, not five minutes before
There's a way to contribute in writing, not only by speaking on the spot
Someone can keep their camera off or fidget without it being read as rude
Communication
Instructions are specific, not dependent on reading between the lines
Asking an "obvious" question is genuinely fine
Expectations are stated in plain words, not assumed
Summations of meetings are sent after with a timeline and invitation for additional thoughts
Environment
There's a quieter space in the office to work when needed
You've actually asked people what helps them focus, rather than guessing
Culture
Someone would feel safe telling you they're neurodivergent, disabled, or struggling
Adjustments are embedded upfront rather than after a crisis point
For client and patient-facing teams
Patients and clients who can't manage a phone call have another way to reach you
The digital or physical waiting environment is bearable for someone sensitive to noise, light or crowds
A patient who can't easily describe their symptoms gets more time, not less patience
There are clear instructions on how to reach the service, whether that’s physical or digital
Reading your answers
Look at them through the lens of possibility.
Scoring mostly "not really" isn't a failure; it's a map of where to start.
Mostly "sometimes" usually means willing people but no system: the good stuff happens when someone remembers, and vanishes when they're stretched. The fix is making it routine.
Mostly "yes"? Test this and ask the people on your team whether they'd agree so you’re working from a broader range of perspectives rather than your own assumption.
The point most training misses
Awareness and change are not the same thing. A team can learn the right language, update the values page, and yet in practice change nothing about a meeting. By truly feeling the impact of this change, the need for the behaviour change sticks and allows change to be successfully implemented.
That's the work I do through The Possibility Project: sessions for teams across London and beyond, ending in specific, committed changes that really matter.
If your checklist turned up more "not really" than you'd like, get in touch and let's talk.
