The NeuroInclusive Play Collective: holding space for the neurodivergent, South Asian community to come together to design through play.

The Post-Grad Interest Group led by The NeuroInclusive Play Collective: holding space for the neurodivergent South Asian community to come together to design through play is an open, collaborative space for MA and PhD students, as well as alumni, to explore themes of neurodiversity, accessibility, and inclusion within academic and professional contexts.

Co-led by Diksha Ashok (MA Service Design) and Radhika Chaudhary (MA Illustration & Visual Media), who are working on their final major projects on similar themes, the group provides a platform for collective learning, co-design, and community-building through play.

Meets

The group will meet once a week during term time (dates below), with sessions hosted on campus (LCC)  in a dedicated room (Learning Lounge in the 1st floor of the LCC LIbrary), alongside occasional online gatherings to widen accessibility.

Meetings will typically last 1.5 to 2 hours and combine structured workshops with open discussion, there will always be food and hot drinks and open conversation to follow.

Our aim is to create a safe and supportive environment where neurodivergent students (including those with ADHD, Autism, Dyslexia, Dyscalculia, and other lived experiences) and allies can share needs, fears, dilemmas, and practical strategies.

Together, we will reflect on how to design more inclusive systems and foster accessible creative practices and also co-design and test them together.

Additionally, the discourse on neuroinclusivity is still largely white dominated, and this collective is a space to bring forward the unique lived experiences of south asian neurodivergent individuals to co-create for access and inclusion.

Dates for meets:

Meet 1: Friday 10 October, 2pm-4pm
Learning Lounge, LCC Library

Meet 2: Thursday 16 October, 3pm-5pm
Learning Lounge, LCC Library

Meet 3: Thursday 23 October, 3pm-5pm
Learning Lounge, LCC Library

Meet 4: Thursday 30 October, 3pm-5pm
Learning Lounge, LCC Library

Planned activities include:

• Introductory Workshop: A zine-making and illustration session as an ice breaker and to map out participants’ motivations, expectations, and future ideas for the group.

• Co-Design Sessions: Hands-on workshops where members test ideas for inclusive service design, workshop formats, and creative engagement tools.

• Community Discussions: Regular open forums to exchange experiences, highlight barriers, and share resources around Equity, Diversity, Inclusion (EDI), and accessibility.

• Collaborative Outputs: Opportunities to co-create research material, publications, or creative artifacts that contribute to broader conversations on neuroinclusivity.

Above all, this group values lived experience as expertise. Whether you identify as neurodivergent or are passionate about building accessible systems, you are welcome to join, participate, and shape the direction of the group.

How to get in touch/book to come along

Contact the group leaders:

• Diksha Ashok (MA Service Design) d.ashok0320241@arts.ac.uk or
• Radhika Chaudhary (MA Illustration & Visual Media)  r.chaudhary0220241@arts.ac.uk