Can creativity and inclusion go hand in hand?

Organised by The Future is ND, a community of neurodivergent professionals in advertising and tech, the event brought together thought leaders and experts to share insights and explore how creativity can be made accessible to the estimated 20% neurodiverse population.

Clear Channel’s People with Disabilities Crew and colleagues joined the event to learn more about how Out of Home advertising can better represent and engage with this community.

Mark Smith, UK Sales Director, kicked off the event by sharing insights into Clear Channel’s ongoing journey towards becoming more neurodiverse-accessible and inclusive.

He referenced the Invisible 20% Mindshare Huddle conversation and highlighted progress made since then, including furthering partnerships with charities like the ADHD Foundation, management training to support neurodiverse employees, and the creation of more inclusive content.

Guest speaker Lizzy Davis, a Senior Designer at House 337, presented on dyslexia-friendly typography, emphasizing the importance of inclusive design elements to improve legibility for people with dyslexia, sharing practical tips such as:

• Sentence structure

• Font weight variations for better legibility

• Tracking

• Line spacing

• Non-white backgrounds

The main panel, hosted by Lucy Hobbs, Founder of The Future is ND, discussed whether brands truly achieve creative and inclusive design work. The panel concluded that businesses should not only strive for inclusion but continuously evolve to foster it across all areas. Key takeaways included:

• Driving accessibility through inclusive recruitment to build authentically inclusive branding.

• Applying the “two senses” principle, which states that information should be perceivable by at least two senses (e.g., visually and auditorily, or visually and by touch).

• Building trust by genuinely listening to user needs.

Closing the event, the panel shared their thoughts on the achievability of full creativity and inclusion in branding, referencing the upcoming 2025 European Accessibility Act (EAA). This act will require online and ecommerce businesses to make products and services more accessible for the 135 million disabled and elderly people across Europe.

This legislation will impact brands across the board, necessitating alignment with new product accessibility standards.

Clear Channel’s continued sponsorship of The Future is ND event underscores our commitment to being a Platform for Good and fostering an inclusive advertising landscape. By actively participating in such events, we champion diversity, celebrate representation, and strive to amplify all voices in the advertising industry.