Welcome to the latest blog series from Consumer Friend.

Author: Louise Baxter MBE- 3 Minute Read

Let’s talk neuro-inclusion

For those that have heard me speak, I love talking about neurodiversity and happily for me there seems to be a growing buzz around it. You’ll hear people say it’s a superpower, and yes, there are some incredible strengths that come with being neurodiverse, creativity, focus, pattern recognition, fresh perspectives to name but a few. But whilst I love to focus on the positives of everything, we need to go beyond just the good bits. For many people, neurodiversity also comes with daily life challenges that are invisible, misunderstood, and unsupported.

That’s why we’re launching the Wonky Way, a new blog series from Consumer Friend focused on supporting organisations and individuals to understand, recognise, and respond to neurodiversity in a real, human, INCLUSIVE, practical way. Lets help all consumers access our services with ease.

Why “The Wonky Way”?

Because life doesn’t always go in a straight line. People don’t all fit the same shape. And the idea that there’s a “normal” way of thinking, working, or communicating? That’s outdated. The Wonky Way is about embracing different minds, different needs, and different ways of navigating the world, without shame, assumptions, or one-size-fits-all solutions.

Let’s start with the basics: What is neurodiversity?

Neurodiversity is the natural variation in how people think, feel, and process information. It includes autism, ADHD, dyslexia, dyspraxia, Tourette’s, and more. It also includes people who are undiagnosed, self-identify, or experience traits without meeting a formal threshold.

Around 1 in 7 people are neurodiverse so if you’re running a business, leading a team, or delivering services to the public, neurodiversity is your reality. Whether you realise it or not.

The truth about “superpowers”

While there’s a movement to celebrate neurodiversity and that’s important we also need to be honest. For many people, it’s not all superpowers and secret genius. It can be isolating. Draining. Hard. It can affect relationships, employment, access to services, and day-to-day functioning.

We need to create space for both: to recognise strengths and acknowledge the barriers. That means changing the way we design services, speak to people, and make decisions.

What is situational or marketplace vulnerability and why does it matter?

Not all vulnerability is permanent. It’s a state not a trait. Its dynamic and people move in and out of periods of consumer vulnerability depending on what’s going on around people or what they are trying to do.   That’s what we mean by situational vulnerability and marketplace vulnerability. Any one of us can experience consumer vulnerability.

This can mean people end up at a disadvantage not because of who they are, but because the environment, the process, or the service just isn’t working for them in that moment.

For a neurodiverse person, that might look like:

Struggling to process complex or fast-paced information

Feeling overwhelmed by noise, lights, colours, or crowds

Finding it hard to focus, follow instructions, or ask for help

Being shut out by jargon, forms, or rigid systems

For example:

A consumer might be more susceptible to confusing subscriptions or auto-renewals

They might find it harder to compare deals or challenge unfair terms

Or they may miss out entirely if services are only online, or require specific communication styles

None of this means someone is incapable. It means the way we’ve set things up isn’t accessible and often, hasn’t been designed with everyone in mind.

And when that happens, people can end up excluded, distressed, or vulnerable to harm especially in essential services like energy, finance, housing, or healthcare.

That’s why understanding vulnerability in context not just in theory is so important.

If we fix the environment, we CAN remove the barrier. If we listen and adapt, we reduce the risk. If we design for the real world the wonky world, we create services that work for far more people, far more of the time.

So, what’s the Wonky Way all about?

This blog series is here to offer practical, no-nonsense advice for organisations that want to do better and people who want to feel understood. We’ll cover things like:

What neuro-inclusion really means in practice for organisations to support all consumers

How to design communication that works for more people

How systems, services, and workplaces can be more flexible for consumers

How to listen to feedback and use it to grow

What language helps and what gets in the way

We’re not here to sugar-coat or to shame. We’re here to be useful. To share what works. To champion change that’s realistic, sustainable, and led by lived experience.

Let’s make services better. Let’s create spaces where people feel safe, heard, and able to thrive. Let’s celebrate the wonky ways and build systems that bend before people break.

Join us on The Wonky Way.

Follow along, let’s get inclusive. Please get in touch to be one of our pioneer partners and let us train you in the Wonky Way.

The Wonky Way