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One in Four. And You’re Not Designing for Them.

Published 3 months ago • 2 min read

One in Four. And You’re Not Designing for Them.

In this week's CX Passport, The one with leading neurodivergence CX, Stine Marsal talks about something most companies treat as compliance ... but should treat as strategy.

"Turns out one in four has a hidden disability. One in four. 15 to 20 % neurodivergent." - Stine

One in four.

That’s not a niche segment. That’s not a CSR initiative. That’s not a footnote in your annual report.

That’s scale.

Stine discovered this while leading experience at Copenhagen Airport. What started as a regulatory requirement to train staff on disability awareness turned into a full journey mapping exercise across hearing impairments, visual impairments, autism, ADHD, anxiety, wheelchair use ... and more.

What surprised her wasn’t just the barriers.

It was how similar the barriers were.

Misunderstanding. Anxiety. Cognitive overload. Unclear expectations. Stress layered on stress.

"When you make your customer experience smooth for those that experience the highest barriers, everybody can access it easier." - Stine

Design for the edges ... and you improve the middle.

Airports are a perfect metaphor. Everyone experiences cognitive load there. Security. Time pressure. Noise. Uncertainty. Travel disruption.

Now layer a hidden disability on top of that.

If we reduce friction for the highest-barrier customer, we reduce friction for the busy executive. The tired parent. The stressed traveler. The aging passenger who forgot their glasses.

Heck, even though I’m a seasoned traveler and have DFW memorized, a new airport is disorienting for me as well...I’m looking at you, Schiphol.

Accessibility isn’t about being nice.

It’s about removing friction that quietly costs you revenue.

At the airport, Stine heard from a passenger who bought a cup of coffee for the first time because staff had been trained to communicate differently. He’d avoided doing so for years.

That’s not just inclusion.

That’s unlocked demand.

Too often, we chase the glitz of experience design. The sparkle. The aesthetic.

What if the bigger opportunity is reducing cognitive load?

Not adding more. Not layering in delight. Not building a fancier dashboard.

Just removing friction.

Your Turn:

Where in your experience are customers quietly opting out ... not because they don’t want what you sell ... but because the cognitive load is too high?

Put those tray tables up and buckle those seat belts. Let’s go!

-Rick

P.S. If you know someone who might benefit from this week’s newsletter, please feel free to forward this to them. Or they can sign up here.

What’s on tap this week?…

Host - Rick Denton

Rick believes the best meals are served outside and require a passport

🎤🎞️The one with leading neurodivergence CX - Stine Marsal E253🎧

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