Foreword by Loren Snow
A sensory audit is sometimes referred to as an environmental audit. It is a tool used by lots of workplaces to identify small, actionable and cost-effective changes that can benefit all employees. Audits often pick up things like sound leakage, slopes, doors that bang and other little nuisances that affect everyone's productivity, especially people with sensory sensitivities.
If you need to conduct one yourself, you can find many online (even the BBC has one). Here's my suggestion: look at a few, find the ones most relevant to your particular workplace, hospital or school, and then put together the questions from them that are the right fit. I also recommend that it is carried out by a neurodivergent staff member, as they are most likely to identify things, and that the findings are presented to the whole team for feedback once it is complete.
If you need help and want to get us in, please contact us. You can also find our clear guide to Workplace Sensory Audits. Now, back to Beth's blog.
What is a sensory audit?
A sensory audit is a tool that aims to identify any potential sensory difficulties in a particular location, such as offices, schools, hospitals and airports. I've focused on offices for this blog, as many neurodivergent people find certain elements of these spaces tricky.
It's important to be mindful here that particular things might not cause difficulty on their own. We might be talking about the total sensory load in the space. For most people this is fine, but for everyone, on particularly tricky days, these things can add up and cause distraction at the least, or an inability to complete complex tasks at the worst.
What senses are involved?
Audits usually focus on these sensory systems:
Sight - are there lots of distracting patterns and colours?
Smell - are there areas with lots of smells? Are there any strong cleaning products? Is there any odour leakage?
Touch - desks, tables, pens, pencils, door handles
Hearing - doors banging, chairs creaking, clanging keyboards
Proprioception - your sense of you, your body parts and your muscles (vibrations on wooden flooring, air pressure changes from doors closing, how desks are arranged)
Vestibular - your sense of balance and orientation (slopes, steps, obstacles)
We don't tend to focus on the following senses, as they are more individual and less to do with the environment. That doesn't mean the environment has no impact on somebody's self-perception, though:
Taste
Interoception - your internal sense: hunger, thirst, tiredness, pain
To help you with each of these, we've made a series of free infographics, one for each of the senses. You can find them on our downloads page. Download them, stick them up in your office or school, or refer to them when you need to jog your memory.
Okay, let's look at each sensory system individually.
Tactile processing
Tactile objects are not things you would first consider, but if you were to take stock of what you touch day to day, you'd realise that you probably touch thousands of different objects, or hundreds of different objects thousands of times. Every time you sit down, pull out a chair or open a door, you're touching things. If these things often have different temperatures or levels of moisture, they can add extra input or distraction.
In your audit, include everything that can be touched. Think:
chairs
desks
door handles
cutlery
toilets
tables
pens and pencils
notepads
mugs
containers
filing systems
light switches
flooring
wallpaper
and so forth
To identify what might be causing difficulty, it can help to ask questions. These include:
Flooring - Is it safe to use? Do any parts need fixing? Would a rug be a viable option?
Seating - Is the furniture comfortable? Would a cushion help? Are all employees offered a seating assessment?
Desks - Are the corners of desks safe to touch? Are excess cables tucked away?
Auditory processing
This includes anything in a workplace that can be heard. Think:
doors
keyboards
windows
fans
phones
blinds
floorboards
vending machines
keys
Some questions to ask:
Is the lift audio clear? Is there an option to turn it off for people who don't like it?
Are there alternatives to loud alarm systems, e.g. flashing lights?
Are there private rooms available for people who don't like working in noisy places?
IT - Are keyboards and mice available that don't make loud clacking or clicking noises? Are headsets available?
Are clocks on the wall necessary? Can we find silent ones? (I once took the battery out of a small meeting room clock because the ticking was annoying me, and no one noticed for three weeks!)
Visual processing
This includes anything in the workplace that can be seen:
Doors - If they are see-through, is it obvious where you need to push to open them?
Are stairs easy to use, without strange carpet patterns?
Are the windows easy to open?
Do all staff wear lanyards with photos? Are staff photos also displayed somewhere prominent? (I have an awful memory for names, and not everyone wears their lanyard!)
Are staff encouraged to wear "I have XX [disability / health condition]. Please be patient" badges? (I have several and love them, as they take the awkwardness away!)
Is the lighting adjustable? Could individual desk lamps be an option instead of ceiling lighting? Are screen tints available to ease light sensitivity?
Oral and smell processing
Is there a choice of cutlery in eating places? (I hate wooden spoons.) Are there booths so people can sit with a bit of personal space?
Are staff encouraged to eat in spaces other than their desks?
Is there smell leakage from the bathroom, or are there particularly strong smells in the bathroom?
Do staff wear strong perfumes or aftershaves?
Is there an effective air-freshening and ventilation system in the toilets to reduce smells?
Proprioceptive and vestibular processing
Is there a ramp into the building? Are disabled parking spaces available?
Is there wooden flooring? Does it vibrate when people walk on it?
Desks - Are people's desks on solid, sturdy ground? Do they move when people walk by? Do vibrations come in from surrounding hallways when people walk, due to the flooring?
Are there handrails on both sides of the stairwell? Is a lift available? Is it serviced regularly?
Are signs on walls and doors clear to read? Are fire exits clearly signed?
How do I get a sensory environmental audit for my workplace?
If you already know what your sensory needs are, you can request reasonable adjustments from your manager under the Equality Act 2010. There is more information in our interactive guide to the Equality Act 2010, and we've also made an interactive guide to reasonable adjustments in the workplace.
If you are not sure where to start, some occupational therapists specialise in sensory audits (not me, sorry!). Or you can reach out to the Neurodiverse Training team to complete one for you.
Good luck!
Beth Paterson
Specialist Paediatric Occupational Therapist
www.gentlesteps.co.uk