Cognitive Access Design™ Framework

The research-backed methodology for cognitive inclusion.

What is Cognitive Access Design™?

Cognitive Access Design™ (C.A.D) is the only research-backed methodology specifically designed for cognitive inclusion across digital platforms, physical workspaces, and organisational systems.

Traditional accessibility focuses on physical barriers (ramps, screen readers) and sensory accommodations (colour contrast, captions), but C.A.D addresses how neurodiverse minds actually think, process information, and navigate environments.

Developed by our Wales-based team and serving organisations across the UK, this framework transforms how businesses, public sector bodies, nonprofits, and educational institutions approach inclusion.

Unlike one-size-fits-all accessibility solutions, C.A.D is customised for each organisation’s sector, size, and goals — whether you're a Welsh public body needing Well-being of Future Generations Act compliance, an SME improving workplace inclusion, or a nonprofit reaching neurodiverse communities more effectively.

Core Principles of Cognitive Access Design™

C.A.D focuses on how people actually think, feel, and process information. These principles guide how we design systems, spaces, and experiences that are easier to understand and navigate, especially for neurodiverse and cognitively overloaded users.

Clarity & Simplicity

Reduce unnecessary complexity, jargon, and noise. Make information, choices, and actions clear and easy to understand at a glance.

Predictability & Structure

Create consistent patterns, layouts, and flows so people know what to expect and where they are in a process at any point in time.

Reduced Cognitive Load

Limit the number of decisions, steps, and stimuli at once. Break tasks into manageable chunks with clear guidance and support.

Emotional & Sensory Safety

Design with emotional and sensory impact in mind. Avoid overwhelming users and create environments that feel safe, respectful, and steady.

Flexible Pathways

Offer more than one way to engage, complete a task, or access information, so different cognitive styles and access needs are supported.

Co-Design with Lived Experience

Involve neurodiverse and cognitively diverse users in the design process so solutions are grounded in real experiences, not assumptions.

Why We Created Cognitive Access Design™

Cognitive Access Design™ grew out of years of working with people who were still being excluded, even when services were technically “accessible” on paper. Websites met WCAG. Policies ticked the right boxes. But many neurodiverse and cognitively overloaded people still could not comfortably use those systems.

As a neurodiverse-led team working across law, education, social care, and digital design, we saw the same pattern repeating: environments that were compliant, but confusing. Processes that were legally sound, but exhausting to navigate. Support that existed in theory, but was too hard to access in practice.

We created C.A.D to close that gap.

C.A.D shifts the focus from “Can someone technically use this?” to:

Is this clear?
Is this predictable?
Is this emotionally and cognitively safe to engage with?

How C.A.D Works in Practice

Cognitive Access Design™ can be applied to digital platforms, physical spaces, processes, and learning environments. Here’s a high-level snapshot of how organisations begin working with C.A.D.

1. Understand the Environment

We explore the context: who uses the system, what their cognitive demands are, and where confusion or overload currently occurs.

2. Identify Cognitive Barriers

We look for friction points — unclear layouts, unpredictable processes, heavy decision-making, sensory overwhelm, or unnecessary steps.

3. Apply C.A.D Principles

Using the high-level C.A.D principles, we develop initial recommendations that increase clarity, predictability, and cognitive safety.

4. Refine Through Lived Experience

Where appropriate, we involve neurodiverse reviewers to test assumptions and strengthen changes with real-world insight.

5. Implement & Support

Organisations integrate the refined recommendations into their digital, physical, or procedural systems — with optional support from our team.

Our Commitment to Openness

Accessible Futures Group was founded on a social mission. We believe that cognitive access should be a core design principle across sectors, and we want this framework to support as many people as possible.

That’s why the Cognitive Access Design framework and its core principles are open to reference and apply, with appropriate credit to Accessible Futures Group.

We encourage organisations to use Cognitive Access Design as a lens for reflection, design, and service improvement.

Please Note: While the framework itself is open, our training materials and implementation tools are copyrighted and may not be reproduced, adapted, or used for commercial purposes without written permission.

If you’d like to embed Cognitive Access Design within your organisation, training, or services, we invite you to explore our training and consultancy pathways.

If you're unsure whether your use falls within fair use or open licensing please get in touch, we’re happy to help

Certification Coming Soon

We’re currently developing a formal C.A.D Certified™ programme to recognise organisations actively embedding Cognitive Access Design in their systems.
Stay tuned for updates—or contact us if you'd like to be part of the early pilot phase.

Photography by Katrina Bartlett — katrinabartlett.co.uk | Instagram: @katrina_b_media