The UK's first neurodiversity-led design standards body

Any organisation that builds or provides software, digital services, websites, mobile apps, e-learning content, or digital products. We assess the product, not the organisation. There is no minimum company size.

A standard assessment typically takes two to three weeks from start to report delivery. Larger or more complex products may take longer. We agree the timeline before we begin so there are no surprises.

Every assessment produces a detailed report regardless of score. If your product does not meet the threshold for Endorsed or Certified, you receive a Reviewed status and a clear roadmap showing exactly what to fix and how much each change would improve your score. Most organisations reach a higher tier within one development cycle.

WCAG focuses primarily on visual, auditory, and motor accessibility. The NDC standard assesses cognitive load, executive function support, sensory design, emotional safety, and flexibility for neurodivergent users. A product can be fully WCAG compliant and still be unusable for someone with ADHD or autism. We assess for what WCAG does not cover.

Yes. Every assessor has lived experience of one or more neurodivergent conditions including ADHD, autism, dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia, and sensory processing differences. This is not a checkbox. It is the foundation of our entire approach. Lived experience catches what checklists cannot.

NDC badges are hosted on our servers and embedded on your site via a code snippet. If your certification expires or is revoked, the badge disappears automatically. Anyone can verify a badge on our Verify page. There are no self-declared badges.

The NDC standard is a published, versioned assessment framework. It does not replace the Equality Act or the European Accessibility Act, but it provides structured, evidenced documentation that your organisation has taken proactive steps to accommodate neurodivergent users. In the event of a complaint or tribunal, this evidence of reasonable adjustments carries real weight.

Assessment pricing depends on the scope and complexity of your product. See our pricing page for full details. Founding clients receive a reduced rate.

Yes. The NDC standard complements WCAG, it does not replace it. WCAG 2.2 covers visual, auditory, and motor accessibility. The NDC standard covers the cognitive, sensory, and executive function dimensions that WCAG does not address in depth. A product should meet both WCAG 2.2 AA and the NDC standard for comprehensive accessibility coverage. If you already have a WCAG audit, our assessment adds the neurodiversity layer on top. If you do not have one yet, we can recommend partners.

Yes. Under the Public Sector Bodies Accessibility Regulations 2018, public sector organisations must publish an accessibility statement. NDC assessment provides documented, evidenced findings that directly support the neurodiversity-inclusive design section of your statement. Your NDC report and certification status can be referenced as evidence that your organisation has taken proactive steps to accommodate neurodivergent users.

Yes. Government guidance explicitly recommends making accessibility standards part of your request for quotation (RFQ) and including accessibility as part of contract evaluation. NDC certification can be specified alongside WCAG 2.2 AA in procurement documentation. For organisations renewing contracts or entering new ones, requiring NDC certification ensures your suppliers are accountable for neurodivergent user experience, not just technical accessibility.

Yes. Government procurement guidance requires suppliers to evidence accessibility compliance, referencing EN 301 549 and third-party audits. NDC certification is independent, evidenced proof that your product has been assessed for neurodiversity-inclusive design. It can be included in G-Cloud service definitions, Digital Marketplace listings, RFQ responses, and any procurement submission that asks for accessibility evidence. It sits alongside your WCAG audit as additional, differentiated proof that your product works for neurodivergent users.

The Government Digital Service monitors public sector websites using automated checks (axe), keyboard testing, 400% zoom, and assistive technology. If issues are found, you typically get a 12-week remediation window. GDS monitoring covers WCAG compliance but does not assess for neurodivergent-specific usability. Having an NDC assessment on file demonstrates that you have gone beyond the minimum and proactively addressed the cognitive, sensory, and executive function dimensions that GDS testing does not cover. That is a strong position to be in if GDS contacts you.

You are. Government guidance is clear: you are legally responsible for your website meeting accessibility requirements, even if you have outsourced it to a supplier. NDC assessment can be used as part of your supplier accountability. You can require your supplier to submit the product for assessment, include NDC certification as a contractual requirement, or commission an assessment independently to verify what your supplier has delivered.

The disproportionate burden defence allows organisations to argue that meeting certain requirements would be too costly relative to the benefit. However, government guidance is explicit: you cannot cite lack of time or knowledge, and you cannot argue disproportionate burden simply because you have not given it priority. Many neurodiversity-inclusive design improvements are low-cost (chunking content, adding save-and-resume, adjusting notifications, improving error messages) with significant benefit to a large user group. An NDC assessment identifies exactly what needs fixing and how much effort each change requires, making it very difficult to sustain a disproportionate burden argument for most issues found.