Inclusion Isn’t Universal: Why Inclusive Design Still Excludes Autistic Women
A new study reveals why many so-called inclusive designs still exclude autistic women - and how cultural bias in both design and diagnosis is part of the problem.
Inclusive design often fails the very people it's meant to serve.
A new study confirms what autistic women have been saying for years: design decisions still reflect neurotypical and male-centered norms. It's not just a missed opportunity. It's a form of exclusion.
Why “Inclusive” Isn’t Always Inclusive
The recent paper by Batista & Franco (2025) critiques “inclusive design” through an anthropological lens. It shows how design reflects deep cultural assumptions. These assumptions typically ignore or misrepresent the lived experiences of autistic women, leading to products that are technically compliant but practically unusable.
Founded by an autistic woman, Neurodiverse Panel was created for this exact reason: Design choices shaped by outdated diagnostic criteria, male-centric research, or generic accessibility checklists often exclude the very users they aim to include - especially women and nonbinary neurodivergent people, who may mask or communicate differently than expected.
The authors explain how every day products - from apps to food packaging - send messages about who belongs and who doesn’t. If your design reflects neurotypical assumptions, it’s likely reinforcing exclusion - even if it looks “inclusive” on paper.
What the research shows
- Diagnostic tools for autism still skew male, meaning autistic women are under-identified and underserved (Hull et al., 2017; Lai et al., 2015).
- Universal design models often ignore the preferences of users who don’t fit dominant norms (Sanches et al., 2023).
- Inclusive design that doesn’t account for neurodivergent realities isn't inclusive - it’s performative.
How do we change this?
The answer is a straightforward one: we include the voices too often overlooked as soon as possible.
If we are seeking to make a product or service more neuroinclusive, we get the input of neurodivergent people first.
If we are designing a new product, we co-create with neurodivergent people from the start.
Who needs to hear this?
- UX and product teams designing accessible platforms
- Marketing and comms leads creating inclusive messaging
- HR or policy professionals aiming for neurodivergent-friendly systems
If you're making decisions that affect neurodivergent people, you need lived-experience insight at the core.
Book a discovery call now - or learn how we work to avoid exclusion by design.
References