Healthcare is—quite literally—a vital facet of self-care, especially for neurodivergent folks. For us, navigating the sensory landscape, managing our energy, and finding healthcare that matches our needs can be a daunting challenge. Traditional healthcare settings often fall short in understanding and accommodating access needs, leaving many of us feeling frustrated, misunderstood, and excluded.

We pair you with a professional advocate, with lived experience as a neurodivergent person, and who also believes that your experiences are valid and important. Your Peer Navigator serves your healthcare journey as so much more than just a guide; they're a teammate who offer insights, advice, and a listening ear.

Seeking adjustments in a medical context can be intimidating, whether due to illness, pain, or the fear of being misunderstood. Many neurodivergent individuals often find themselves masking their access needs, in an attempt to avoid potential stigma.

With so many neurodivergent people experiencing chronic pain and other underlying conditions—and yet so many of us avoiding treatment for those conditions—there is a critical need for healthcare designed specifically for these challenges.

This episode of Neurodivergent Notes is a deep-dive into accessibility in design with Jadyn Cleary, a UX design student and accessibility advocate at Duke University. Katya (she/they, autistic & ADHD) and Jadyn discuss the dangers of choosing appearance over accessibility, and how platforms like Apple’s iOS can help or hinder progress, the importance of addressing accessibility early in the design process, and the need for inclusive user testing in healthcare.

We believe that everyone should get care how they need it, and are committed to reducing stigma in asking for and receiving sensory accommodations. Here’s a break down of some common challenges and suggested accommodations by sense - feel free to share this with your doctor, dentist, or other healthcare professional!