Frequently Asked Questions.
Accessible marketing, neurodiversity training, accessible design, and working with me, answered properly, not in a paragraph you have to decode.
Accessible Marketing FAQs.
What is accessible marketing?+
Accessible marketing is the practice of creating campaigns, content, and customer experiences that people of all abilities can access and understand, including neurodivergent audiences such as those with ADHD, autism, dyslexia, and other cognitive differences. Roughly 15-20% of the population is neurodivergent, and accessible marketing ensures that audience can engage with your brand effectively.
It goes beyond basic WCAG compliance to address cognitive accessibility: sensory sensitivities, attention spans, and processing differences. In practice that means clear language, multiple content formats, designing with cognitive load in mind, and customer journeys that don't assume everyone processes information the same way.
Implemented well, through a framework like IMPACT™, accessible marketing doesn't just serve neurodivergent customers, it improves the experience for everyone. Accessible design tends to help users who are tired, distracted, on mobile, or dealing with any kind of temporary limitation, not just a permanent one.
Key elements: plain language content, alt text for images, captions for video, clear navigation, reduced sensory overload, flexible interaction methods, and multiple ways to access the same information.
Why is accessible marketing important for businesses?+
Accessible marketing matters because it lets businesses reach their entire potential audience instead of inadvertently excluding 15-30% of customers. In the UK alone there are over 15 million disabled people, and an estimated 15-20% of the population is neurodivergent, representing significant purchasing power. The Purple Pound was estimated at £274 billion in the last widely-cited report, though that figure is now several years old.
Beyond the ethical case, accessible marketing delivers measurable business benefits: higher engagement, better customer satisfaction, stronger SEO performance, lower support costs, and a stronger brand reputation. Companies working with accessible marketing consultants have reported engagement increases of 30-40% after implementing neurodivergent-friendly strategies.
On the legal side, accessibility is increasingly a compliance expectation. WCAG addresses technical accessibility, but forward-thinking businesses recognise that cognitive accessibility, making content genuinely understandable for neurodivergent minds, matters just as much for meeting the spirit of equality legislation, not just the letter of it.
It also just makes for better marketing generally. Designing for an ADHD user who needs clear, scannable content, or an autistic user who prefers direct communication, tends to produce marketing that works better for everyone, including busy executives, mobile users, and anyone browsing in a distracting environment.
How do you make marketing accessible for neurodivergent audiences?+
Making marketing accessible starts with understanding how different neurotypes process information and interact with content. I use the IMPACT™ Framework, which I developed and have applied across 100+ projects, to guide this systematically.
Start with structure: short paragraphs (2-3 sentences), clear headings that describe what follows, bullet points for scannability, and enough white space to reduce cognitive overload. ADHD users in particular struggle with dense text blocks and need information broken into digestible pieces.
Simplify the language: plain language, jargon explained rather than assumed, and direct rather than metaphorical phrasing. Autistic users tend to prefer literal, straightforward communication without hidden meanings or excess corporate speak.
Consider sensory elements: avoid auto-playing video, flashing animation, or overwhelming colour combinations that can trigger sensory overload. Give people the option to pause, reduce motion, or adjust contrast.
Offer multiple formats: some people learn better from video, others from text, others from infographics. Always include captions and transcripts too.
Test with neurodivergent users: the most reliable way to know your marketing is accessible is to involve neurodivergent people in testing and feedback, rather than assuming what works from a neurotypical perspective alone.
What is the difference between accessible marketing and traditional marketing?+
Traditional marketing typically designs for a neurotypical audience and treats accessibility as a final step, if it's addressed at all. Accessible marketing considers diverse cognitive styles and needs from the start of the strategy and creative process, building inclusion in rather than bolting it on afterward.
The core difference: traditional marketing often assumes everyone processes information, makes decisions, and engages with content in broadly similar ways. Accessible marketing recognises that neurodivergent people think and process differently, and designs accordingly, accounting for executive function, sensory sensitivities, attention differences, and varied communication preferences from day one.
In practice, accessible marketing prioritises clarity over cleverness, directness over ambiguity, and function over pure aesthetics. It asks: can someone with ADHD quickly find what they need? Will an autistic reader understand exactly what's meant? Can someone with dyslexia read this comfortably?
Marketing that ignores accessibility typically reaches an estimated 70-85% of its potential audience effectively. Accessible marketing gets much closer to the full audience, because what works for neurodivergent users tends to also work better for neurotypical users in non-ideal moments: tired, distracted, or multitasking.
Accessible marketing isn't about dumbing content down, it's about making the user journey, across your website, social, email, and advertising, genuinely easy to follow for everyone, regardless of ability.
What are the benefits of accessible marketing?+
The benefits go well beyond meeting compliance requirements.
- Increased reach and engagement: accessible marketing reaches an audience representing 15-20% of the population that many competitors overlook. Businesses have reported engagement increases of 30-40% after implementing accessible marketing strategies.
- Improved conversion rates: clear messaging and simplified processes reduce friction for everyone, and particularly for neurodivergent customers who might otherwise abandon a complex journey.
- Better SEO performance: search engines reward accessible content, clear headings, descriptive alt text, well-structured content, fast loading, all align with what search algorithms already value.
- Stronger brand reputation: a genuine commitment to inclusion builds loyalty with audiences who actively support brands that reflect their values.
- Reduced support costs: marketing that communicates clearly generates fewer confused support enquiries.
- Legal protection: as accessibility requirements tighten, proactive accessible marketing reduces legal risk and future-proofs the business.
How much does accessible marketing cost?+
It doesn't have to be expensive, many accessibility improvements cost nothing beyond thoughtful planning. The real cost depends on whether you're building accessibility into new campaigns from the start, or retrofitting it into existing material.
New campaigns: building accessibility in from day one typically adds 10-15% to production time, with minimal additional cost, mostly the time to plan, write clearly, and test with a diverse group of users.
Existing materials: auditing and updating existing campaigns requires more investment depending on volume and severity of the barriers involved. A comprehensive accessible marketing audit typically runs £2,000-£10,000+ for SMEs, with implementation costs varying by scope.
Consulting and training: working with a consultant to build a strategy, train your team, and implement a framework like IMPACT™ typically runs £3,000-£15,000+, depending on company size and scope.
The more useful question is usually return, not expense. Given you're potentially reaching 15-30% more of your market, the investment tends to justify itself, and the most expensive option is generally doing nothing at all.
What is the IMPACT™ Framework for accessible marketing?+
IMPACT™ is a methodology I developed for building accessible marketing strategies that deliver measurable business results while creating genuine inclusion for neurodivergent audiences. There are two versions, one for external communications and one for internal.
IMPACT™ (External Comms): Inclusive Language, Machine Readable, Prove Credibility, Accessible Design, Community & Representation, Test & Iterate.
IMPACT™ (Internal Comms): Inclusivity, Measurable, Progress, Accessibility, Communication, Time.
Both are built on lived experience with ADHD and autism, combined with professional certification in accessibility (IAAP) and ADHD coaching (ADDCA), and years working with major UK brands including the NHS, Greene King, Help for Heroes, and Swim England.
What makes it different is the business-first approach. Rather than treating accessibility as a compliance checkbox, IMPACT™ positions it as a competitive advantage. It works for businesses of any size, from SMEs to global brands, and can be applied to a single campaign or a company-wide marketing transformation.
Neurodiversity Training FAQs.
What is neurodiversity training?+
Neurodiversity training is workplace education that helps employers, managers, and teams understand neurological differences, including ADHD, autism, dyslexia, dyspraxia, and other cognitive variations, and build inclusive environments where neurodivergent employees can thrive.
Effective training covers the neurodiversity paradigm (understanding neurological differences as natural variation rather than deficit), common neurodivergent experiences at work, reasonable adjustments, communication strategies, recruitment and retention practices, and how to create sensory-friendly, cognitively accessible environments.
It also addresses real scenarios: how do you manage a team member with ADHD who misses deadlines but generates brilliant ideas? What adjustments help autistic employees navigate an open-plan office? How do you make meetings more inclusive for people with different processing speeds? These practical applications make training immediately usable rather than purely theoretical.
Critically, the best neurodiversity training is delivered by neurodivergent trainers with lived experience, not neurotypical consultants speaking on behalf of communities they're not part of. Neurodiversity training isn't a one-time checkbox either, it should be an ongoing commitment.
Why is neurodiversity training important for workplaces?+
15-20% of the workforce is neurodivergent, yet most workplaces are designed for neurotypical minds by default, creating unnecessary barriers that limit how fully neurodivergent employees can contribute. That represents real untapped potential, neurodivergent individuals often bring strong pattern recognition, creative problem-solving, attention to detail, and hyperfocus.
Companies that successfully support neurodivergent talent tend to see higher innovation, better problem-solving, improved retention, and access to a talent pool many competitors overlook. Neurodiverse teams can be significantly more productive when properly supported, and replacing an employee who leaves due to lack of support can exceed 150% of their annual salary.
Legally, UK employers have obligations under the Equality Act 2010 to make reasonable adjustments for disabled employees, which includes many neurodivergent conditions. Training ensures managers understand these requirements and can implement them properly.
For wellbeing, training reduces the burden on neurodivergent staff who often spend enormous energy masking to fit neurotypical norms. When workplaces understand and accommodate neurodiversity, employees can be more authentic, which tends to mean better mental health and higher satisfaction across the whole team, not just neurodivergent members.
What topics are covered in neurodiversity workplace training?+
I structure training around real workplace challenges rather than theory alone. Core topics include:
- Understanding neurodiversity: the neurodiversity paradigm, types of neurodivergence (ADHD, autism, dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia, Tourette's), and how different minds process information.
- Recognising neurodivergence at work: how ADHD, autism, and dyslexia commonly present, and understanding neurodivergence as a spectrum with individual presentations.
- Legal framework: Equality Act 2010 obligations, what constitutes a reasonable adjustment, disclosure and privacy, and recruitment practices that avoid discrimination.
- Practical accommodations: workplace adjustments, communication strategies, meeting adaptations, and sensory environment changes.
- Management and leadership: having supportive conversations, giving feedback in accessible formats, and recognising neurodivergent strengths.
- Creating inclusive culture: moving beyond compliance to genuine inclusion, and building the psychological safety that makes disclosure feel possible.
All training is customised to your company's industry, size, and specific challenges.
How does neurodiversity training benefit employers?+
Talent advantages: understanding and accommodating neurodiversity gives you access to a talent pool many competitors ignore. Neurodivergent individuals often bring pattern recognition, creative thinking, and hyperfocus that's genuinely valuable. Companies including Microsoft, SAP, and JPMorgan run neurodiversity hiring programmes specifically for this reason.
Retention and productivity: neurodivergent employees who feel supported are more likely to stay. Simple, low-cost adjustments, flexible scheduling, written instructions, quiet workspace, often meaningfully improve performance in someone's areas of strength.
Creative boost: neurodivergent thinking often challenges conventional assumptions and finds solutions neurotypical teams miss, which is part of why cognitively diverse teams tend to outperform on complex problems.
Risk mitigation: proper training reduces discrimination claims, creates documentation of your reasonable-adjustments process, and supports Equality Act compliance.
Culture and brand: a genuine commitment to neurodiversity strengthens your employer brand with both neurodivergent and neurotypical talent, and with customers who increasingly support inclusive businesses.
What are reasonable adjustments for neurodivergent employees?+
Reasonable adjustments are changes to workplace practices, environments, or expectations that remove barriers preventing neurodivergent employees from doing their job effectively. Under the Equality Act 2010, UK employers have a legal duty to make these adjustments once they know, or could reasonably be expected to know, that an employee is disabled, which includes many neurodivergent conditions.
Common adjustments for ADHD: flexible hours, written confirmation of verbal instructions, noise-cancelling headphones or a quiet space, breaking projects into smaller milestones, task management tools, and additional time for complex admin.
Common adjustments for autism: clear, direct communication without unstated expectations, advance notice of changes to routine, reduced sensory stimulation, written meeting agendas, and flexibility around dress codes or social events.
Common adjustments for dyslexia: screen readers or text-to-speech tools, additional time for reading and writing tasks, spell-check tools, and the option to submit work in alternative formats.
Adjustments are individual. Not everyone with ADHD needs the same support, and many adjustments cost nothing or very little, the best approach is an open conversation about what barriers someone actually faces.
How long is neurodiversity training and what format does it take?+
Format and duration depend on your team size, existing knowledge, and goals. Standard formats include:
- Introduction workshop: neurodiversity fundamentals, common scenarios, and basic accommodations. Works well for teams new to the topic, up to around 30 people.
- Half-day workshop: everything in the introduction, tailored to your company, roles, and current practices.
- Full-day intensive: comprehensive coverage including legal requirements, management techniques, and case study work. Best for leadership teams or significant cultural change.
- Multi-session programme: spread over weeks or months, giving teams time to implement and reflect between sessions rather than treating training as a one-off.
- Leader-specific training: focused on managers who need practical tools for supporting neurodivergent team members directly.
Both online and in-person formats work well. In-person suits group dynamics and interactive exercises, online offers flexibility and can feel more comfortable for participants who find large gatherings overwhelming. The most effective approach combines initial training with follow-up support rather than a single session.
What qualifications should a neurodiversity trainer have?+
Lived experience: non-negotiable, in my view. Neurodiversity training should be delivered by neurodivergent trainers who can speak from authentic experience, not theoretical understanding.
Professional training: recognised qualifications in neurodiversity, coaching, or accessibility. I hold certifications from ADDCA and IAAP, grounding lived experience in evidence-based practice.
Practical workplace experience: a trainer who understands real business constraints, not just theoretical ideals.
Industry recognition: credentials like being a TEDx speaker or a recognised industry voice indicate the trainer's expertise has been externally validated.
Proven track record: look for a trainer who works with reputable companies and can point to measurable impact.
Worth avoiding: trainers who aren't neurodivergent themselves, those relying mainly on academic theory without workplace application, anyone presenting neurodiversity as purely deficit-based, and anyone who can't provide references or examples of outcomes.
Accessible Design & UX FAQs.
What is accessible design for neurodivergent users?+
Accessible design for neurodivergent users means creating digital experiences, products, and services that accommodate different cognitive processing styles, attention patterns, sensory sensitivities, and communication preferences. Where traditional accessibility often focuses on physical disability, this specifically addresses cognitive accessibility.
Reducing cognitive load: simplified interfaces, minimal distraction, hierarchical information, and not requiring users to hold multiple things in working memory at once.
Accommodating attention differences: clear progress indicators, the ability to save and return, and calls-to-action that stand out from visual noise.
Supporting processing differences: avoiding icons without labels or unclear metaphors. Every interactive element should say clearly what it does.
Managing sensory sensitivities: no auto-playing media, excessive animation, or overwhelming contrast. Give people the option to reduce motion and adjust contrast.
Offering flexibility: multiple ways to accomplish the same task, since different neurodivergent users prefer different interaction methods.
How is accessible UX different from standard UX design?+
Standard UX often designs for an "average" user and treats accessibility as an edge case to accommodate later. Accessible UX treats cognitive diversity as the norm and designs inclusively from the start.
Research differs: standard UX often recruits "typical" users in ideal conditions. Accessible UX deliberately includes neurodivergent users and tests in realistic conditions, accounting for distraction, fatigue, and multitasking.
Priorities differ: standard UX might prioritise visual impact or clever interaction. Accessible UX prioritises clarity and predictability, even where that means a less visually dramatic design, keeping navigation visible rather than hidden in a menu, for instance.
Success metrics differ: standard UX often measures how quickly an expert user can complete a task. Accessible UX measures whether everyone can complete it, even if some people need more time or an extra attempt.
These practices tend to benefit everyone, but they're non-negotiable for neurodivergent users rather than a nice-to-have.
What are common accessibility barriers for ADHD and autistic users?+
Common barriers for ADHD users:
- Attention hijacking: auto-playing video, pop-ups, and animation constantly pull focus away from the task at hand.
- Lengthy, multi-step processes: checkout flows or forms with no save function create a working-memory burden that leads to abandonment.
- Time blindness: no progress indicators or time estimates make it hard to plan and complete a task.
- Poor hierarchy: when everything on a page looks equally important, it's hard to filter and prioritise.
Common barriers for autistic users:
- Ambiguous communication: metaphors, idioms, or implied meaning without explicit explanation.
- Unpredictability: changes without warning, inconsistent navigation, or interfaces that behave differently across contexts.
- Social assumptions: interfaces that require social login or public sharing.
- Sensory overload: bright colours, high contrast, busy backgrounds, or auto-playing sound.
- Hidden information: content that requires hovering or discovering a hidden menu rather than being visible upfront.
About Tania Gerard & Services.
Who is Tania Gerard?+
I'm Tania Gerard, founder of one of the UK's first consultancies specialising in accessible marketing and neurodiversity training. As a TEDx speaker, ADHD UK Ambassador, and accessible marketing consultant, I help businesses reach more of their audience by building marketing strategies and workplace environments that work for neurodivergent minds.
I have ADHD and autism (AuDHD), and I combine that lived experience with professional qualifications from IAAP (CPACC) and ADDCA (ADHD Coaching Academy) to give practical guidance that goes beyond theory. Before founding Tania Gerard Digital, I worked up to Head of Digital, so I understand both the business challenges companies face and the real barriers neurodivergent people encounter as employees and consumers.
My work covers three areas: accessible marketing strategy, neurodiversity workplace training, and accessible UX design, underpinned by the IMPACT™ Framework I developed for delivering measurable results.
I work with companies from SMEs to major UK brands including the NHS, Greene King, Help for Heroes, APCO Worldwide, and Swim England. I'm also a keynote speaker, host of the podcast ADHD Founders Unfiltered, and a UK Parliament ADHD Champion Advisor.
What services does Tania Gerard Digital offer?+
Accessible Marketing Consulting: accessible marketing audits, strategy development using the IMPACT™ Framework, content and copy review, accessible customer journey mapping, and implementation support. Clients have typically reported 30-40% engagement increases after implementation.
Neurodiversity Workplace Training: awareness training for all staff, manager-specific training, reasonable adjustments guidance, and recruitment and retention strategies. Available in half-day, full-day, or multi-session formats, delivered in person or online.
Accessible Design & UX Consulting: UX audits for cognitive accessibility, research with neurodivergent participants, design workshops, and accessible design system development. This goes beyond WCAG compliance to how ADHD, autistic, and dyslexic users actually experience a product.
Also available: speaking engagements and keynote talks on accessible marketing and neurodiversity, plus workshops and webinars for wider teams.
See the Interim Director and Workshops pages for current pricing.
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