How do we make meetings more inclusive for neurodivergent staff?

Send the agenda in advance, ask staff about their access needs, and turn captions and summaries on by default. Where a meeting format disadvantages a disabled worker, adjusting it is a legal duty, not a courtesy. Most guides treat these changes as good manners. The stronger framing is that, where how you run a meeting puts a disabled neurodivergent worker at a substantial disadvantage, removing that disadvantage is a reasonable-adjustments duty under section 20 of the Equality Act 2010, applied to employers by section 39. The duty is triggered by disability and disadvantage, not by a diagnosis, so do not gatekeep these changes behind disclosure.

First, share the agenda and papers ahead of time

The single highest-leverage move is to circulate the agenda and any papers a day or two before, not on the call. Acas advises giving agenda-type information in advance and allowing extra time to read it, so nobody is processing dense material in real time while also being expected to respond. Say plainly what each item is for: a decision, a discussion or just an update. That one habit removes the put on the spot problem that makes fast meetings so draining.

Then ask about access needs and default the basics on

Acas (updated December 2025) advises asking workers whether they have any accessibility needs ahead of meetings, and building accessibility into how you work by default rather than only on request. So ask the team what helps before the next meeting, and bake the common answers in for everyone:

• Captions on by default for video calls, with a written summary or notes shared afterwards.
• Structured turn-taking and a clear chair, so it is not a fast free-for-all where the loudest voice wins.
• Non-verbal ways to contribute: the chat, a shared document, or comments sent before or after.
• Processing time, with questions flagged in advance rather than sprung on people live.
• Shorter meetings with breaks, and protected meeting-free slots in the week. Acas gives the example of Jaz, who has dyspraxia, agreeing protected time when nobody can book meetings.

Acas is clear that what suits one neurodivergent person may not suit another, so try adjustments, ask the person, and review them regularly rather than assuming one fix works for all.

Why this is a duty, not a nicety

Being neurodivergent will often amount to a disability under the Equality Act 2010. Where a practice like running meetings with no agenda, no notice or everyone speaking at once puts such a worker at a substantial disadvantage compared with non-disabled colleagues, you must take reasonable steps to remove it. What counts as reasonable is fact-specific, but the obligation is real, and it sits alongside the business case: the CIPD Neuroinclusion at Work report 2024 found 60% of senior managers say neuroinclusion is a focus, yet only 33% have it in their EDI strategy. Building these changes in by default is how you close that gap and meet the duty before anyone has to ask. For more on the legal frame, see whether you are legally required to make reasonable adjustments.

This page is general information, not clinical or legal advice.