How To Make Your Brand More Inclusive & Accessible

In a world where "neurodivergent" has become a trendy word, most businesses still aren't inclusive, and don't consider people's diversities and traumas... (And, unless you've got a solid inclusive communication strategy, you might be one of them.)

 

Did you know that visual, auditory, or kinesthetic "impairment" can be external AND internal? 👀

 

We perceive the world through our senses, and 80% of this perception is visual. Our vision is our primary sense when navigating this reality. So we built the world to be visual. Both externally and internally.

 

BUT!

And there is a big But! ☝️

 

Your INTERNAL perception might NOT be primarily visual....

And this creates havoc in communication patterns!

 

For example, if you are highly visual (you see images and colors when speaking/thinking, you have a photographic memory etc) you will speak in visual terms.

"I see what you mean", "The way I see it, is that...."...Because of this, you convey your message in visual terms. 👁️‍🗨️

 

And you assume that others perceive things the same way.

Most likely though, you don't even know what your spouse or kids primary internal sense is.🤷🏻‍♀️

 

Most people just "assume" the person they're talking to perceive the world the same way... I never questioned that people would see colors with concepts, names, and sounds.

 

If I think of an apple, I see it as it were real, I can smell it, taste it, feel the texture in my mouth... But I discovered that I'm a synesthete, hyperphantic, and HSP.

I have a higher sensory perception level, meaning my sensitivity to sensorial input is higher than most people and the interconnection (synesthesia) happens consciously for me. 🌈

 

The people around you, those who you're trying to communicate with, don't perceive the world the way you do.

You can talk to a blind person and know they don't see.

But someone who has aphantasia (mind-eye blindness) isn't obvious, as they might be even more creative and descriptive than you, yet their mind is blank. They don't see what you see.

They "get" it but don't internally visualise it. 🧠

 

Just like a blind person... They "get it" but don't see it the way you do.

Yet, you would make an effort to explain to the blind person what you mean... You would explain the situation in other terms, but you might just get upset at the other person because they don't get you the way you want them to.

 

How often have you said "They don't get it! Why aren't they getting it?"

 

Well, most likely because you are not letting them! 😅

 

You don't express it in a way that makes sense to them, so they don't have the same internal structure as you to "get it". (And this is extremely common in the educational and coaching space).

 

If your primary sense is auditory, then you'd assume everyone else is. So you speak in "sound terms".

Of course, in front of a deaf person, you would be compassionate.💚

 

In front of someone who has inner deafness, you wouldn't.

And how about those with misophonia? What may be normal noises for you, could be extremely triggering and distracting for the people you're trying to communicate with!

 

So we go around, speaking from our perspective, without ever considering that the person we're talking to cannot hear themselves speaking (no inner dialogue) or can't visualise the way we do (ever tried to hypnotize someone and they tell you they can't see it? Or guide them on a visualisation and tell them "see this, see that" and they are obviously not into it?).

 

They see nothing or struggle to see enough to be into it! 🤷🏻‍♀️

 

Some people perceive zero inner emotions/feelings. They can't feel your emotions, although they will perceive your anxious tone.

But then we could start talking about those who don't perceive tones.... 

 

This is why they may seem unconcerned by your problems.

In reality, they simply aren't able to catch your emotions!

 

So don't get upset and assume that everyone perceives the way you do! They simply don't!

 

So when your brand communication strategy isn't holistic and multisensorial, you are leaving a massive chunk of people out.😬 And possibly creating many undesired misunderstandings, especially in the health space!

 

When working in this industry, being inclusive in your communication is fundamental as so many factors influence our sensory system.... Massively! (Trauma, stress, and anxiety tend to skew our perception, for example).

 

 

An inclusive brand communication strategy allows people to immerse themselves in your brand, to perceive you at different levels, and connect emotionally, which builds trust (and that leads to sales!).

By making your brand more holistic, you allow many different people, with different sensory perception levels to connect with you. 💚

 

Nowadays, we cannot build businesses that aren't inclusive, and that don't consider people's diversities or traumas.

Plus, creating a holistic experience that goes beyond the common marketing tactics is a great way to catch media attention and grow your brand visibility, authority, and reputation! 🌈

 

 

 

Would you like to explore how your brand is currently being perceived?