For Neurodiversity Celebration Week 2026 (16th-20th March), our Information Officer Luke Aylward has written about his own experiences of sensory issues when visiting public buildings in our area.
Yesterday, I joined our friends from Equality Together on a visit to Darley Street Market in Bradford City Centre. They went there to do a sensory checklist to see how the building could be made more accessible for neurodivergent visitors. As a member of our team who lives locally, I offered to join and give my input.
Prior to the visit, I had been to the Market several times before for leisure, including on its opening weekend last summer. Thinking back, I could have chosen a better time to go there – it was absolutely packed and open during a heatwave! The combination of bodies, noise, and heat all took a lot out of me.
As an autistic person, one of the things I struggle with the most is crowds. Busy, noisy places all contribute to sensory overload. This happens in a variety of buildings in the district, including my local supermarket and Bradford Interchange.
Coping strategies
When I come home from spending time in a busy public space, I often head straight to my bedroom, with my blackout curtains fully closed. I then lie down and avoid doing anything aside from playing on my smartphone.
This isn’t always possible, especially if I’m somewhere further away, e.g. Leeds City Centre. However, when overloaded, it’s my first port of call and I take as much time as I need to recover. When in a crowded building, I do have a few other coping strategies to call on instantly:
- Finding a quiet space to sit
- Getting out of the building if possible and going somewhere less busy
- Putting my headphones or wireless earbuds on to block out or dull background noise
- Looking away from overhead lights if they’re overwhelming me
If I want or need to go somewhere like a supermarket or chemist, I try to time my visit for when it’s less busy e.g. early on a Saturday morning. This minimizes the risk of me succumbing to sensory overload, meaning I have more energy to spare.
How public buildings can accommodate sensory needs
After yesterday’s visit, I’ve come up with a few takeaways for how public buildings can become more sensory-friendly to neurodivergent visitors:
- Have a designated quiet room or sensory room – the Broadway Shopping Centre has one of its own
- Install dimmable lights or duller overhead lighting. Some neurodivergent people can find fluorescent lighting too bright
- Turn down the volume of any background music being played
- Having muted colours on walls e.g. off-white or pastel yellow. Bright colours can be overwhelming for some people
It is also worth noting that some neurodivergent people like strong sensory input. Examples include bright, neon colours and having tactile surfaces. This was considered when setting up the sensory room in the Broadway Centre.
In the past few years, we have done sensory audits of our own, including ones of mental health inpatient settings. All of these were conducted by autistic members of our staff team, each experiencing sensory issues in their own way.
By conducting sensory audits of public buildings and getting people with lived experience involved, you are working to make them more accessible for so many people. The more accessible and sensory-friendly a building is, the more visitors it is likely to get!