Few Australians have managed to create a simple, literally lifesaving product with such immense market potential, knowing that no one else in the country, even internationally, has had the same idea.
Within this enviable space sits WA-based building designer Shelly (Michelle) Dival, who, largely as a result of a 2017 Churchill Fellowship and subsequent Churchill Trust Fellow Impact Funding Grant, is putting the lessons learned into what is set to become widespread practice.
In 2017, Shelley used her Churchill Fellowship to travel to the UK, USA and several European countries to study specialised building design of homes and workplaces for individuals on the autism spectrum.
The results included recommendations for Federal and State Governments to adopt policy regarding neurodiverse design requirements, for Departments of Education to formulate policy on appropriate built environments for learning, particularly in Special Education Units. And for Departments of Housing to ensure neuro-diverse friendly design policies for all state operated housing.
She has served on the Australian Autism Research Council, is a long-time member of Design Matters, the national body for Australian building designers, and has presented at many industry conferences.
Shelly has both a professional and personal interest in the subject. Her company Enabling Spaces (“Different buildings for different minds”) specialises in the design and fit out of buildings for people with sensory and cognitive needs. She has a grandson who was born with Down Syndrome and at the age of seven was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
Currently, some 1-in-50 Australian kids has an ASD diagnosis, according to Shelly, an incidence that has been rising in recent years.
‘I suspect the reason is two-fold,’ she says.
‘A combination of better diagnostic practice and more people actually having the condition.’
During her Fellowship research Shelly found considerable work was being done on the relationship between architecture and autism, which led to what she freely admits is her “obsession” to learn everything she could about how built environments affect those with ASD.
She saw that Australia lacked expertise in this area and could benefit from a more positive interaction between people with ASD – as well as other neurological conditions, such as dementia – with their home and work environments.
The dangers of living and working in buildings/rooms that have not been designed or modified to reduce hazards, both physical and psychological, are many and varied. These include sharp bench corners and kitchen drawer handles, cooktops, slippery floors, dazzling lights, colours that are overwhelming or confusingly undifferentiated, plumbing fixtures, dangerous electrical devices, unexpected noises, backyard hazards.
The list goes on, with many of these potential hazards being considered normal parts of household life… until something unfortunate is seen to happen.
The key question is how people facing such conditions, including their families and carers, might be equipped to undertake safety audits and consequent remediations without engaging pricey consultants and contractors?
This marked the next phase of Shelly’s journey, one enabled by further research and product development through a Churchill Trust Fellow Impact Funding Grant. Shelly views this as an ongoing conversation between industry, government, and importantly, people with autism and their families. In the middle stands Shelly and her expertise and passion.
‘I knew I could only do so much personally,’ she explains.
‘I couldn’t multiply myself, yet I needed to contact a potential audience of hundreds of thousands of people, millions if you include those are experiencing ASD and other neurological conditions internationally.’
The answer, as is so often the case, was to turn to the internet. Using her Impact Funding, Shelly began developing an online learning program to help individuals gain skills to create an Autism-friendly home.
Close to completion by late 2023, the resource, which she describes as a ‘combination of design manual and shopping advice’, comprises of 15 ‘bite size’ lessons of ten minutes each that feature Shelly walking through a series of built environments – that is, typical rooms in typical homes – explaining design features that are, or are not, Autism-friendly.
The course includes interviews with suppliers of high-safety products such as lighting and tiling, many of which are not available at mainstream hardware stores, along with resources such as downloadable lessons, a course guide, product order advice and a personalised fill-in document to help customers design their own program.
Remarkably, and to the great benefit of the project, Shelly was offered technical help by a relative with scripting and film-making skills. He also happened to have been diagnosed with ASD in mid-adulthood.
‘This made such a difference, not just from a practical perspective but by having someone who could view the lessons through the eyes of someone experiencing neurodiversity. It greatly enhanced the authenticity of the project and really lifted it to another level,’ Shelly says.
Despite the vast potential of the market for the online program, Shelly’s financial focus has been the thought that she can spend less time on her design work and more on helping people to live better and safer lives, with the daily concerns of families and carers being greatly alleviated.
‘This is a totally different mindset for me,’ Shelly says.
‘As my collaborator says, I’m also a content creator now, not just a building designer, and the audience is huge.’
So is the size of the market, considering the potential impacts of adverse medical and psychological events in the home or work setting. Yet the anticipated cost for the course is expected to sit at around an economical $300 per subscription.
‘I’m not in this for the money,’ Shelly stresses.
‘The aim is genuinely to help people, parents particularly, because they can dip in and out of lessons at times convenient for them. I know how valuable this would have been for my grandson’s family when he was younger, and there are so many more young people and families who will benefit.
‘Safety in the home is paramount for everyone, whether you have kids with ASD or other conditions, older folk with dementia, or just want to err on the side of caution by making some basic modifications for everyone’s wellbeing.
‘In fact, there’s a lot we can all learn from the ASD community, and I’m so glad to have been able to make a contribution.’