NeuroBuildNeuroBuild as a company aims to build a more neuroinclusive world. Founded by Connor Ward and Lydia Harris, we offer services that help organisations allow neurodivergent people to thrive, whether that is inside the organisation or beyond.
Connor Ward is a neurodiversity trainer, consultant, and speaker who draws on his combined lived experience and professional specialities of neurodivergence to help organisations create more accessible and inclusive environments. He works across training, consultancy, and policy, supporting organisations to better understand neurodivergent experiences and embed practical, human-centred approaches into their products, services, and workplaces. |
|
Lydia Harris is an award-winning DE&I specialist in the HR space and an autistic advocate. Lydia has spoken publicly across a range of formats to promote neuroinclusion in the workplace. Lydia's exceptional administrative abilities and corporate expertise maximises the impact of Connor's unique position he's established in the neurodiversity industry. Now Connor & Lydia are a powerful team offering their specialist expertise to support organisations to improve experiences for neurodivergent users and employees.
Connor Ward
|
Connor’s work in neurodiversity began through public speaking and sharing his lived experience of neurodivergence online, with the aim of helping people better understand the experiences of the autistic individuals around them. What began as a personal effort to increase empathy quickly grew into a thriving online community, where Connor found himself regularly engaging with thousands of neurodivergent people and their supporters.
Through these conversations, combined with his volunteering with the National Autistic Society and his studies in design, equity, diversity and inclusion (ED&I), and neurology, Connor developed a well-rounded understanding of neurodivergent experience from both lived and professional perspectives. |
|
Building on this foundation, Connor moved into training and consultancy. His training work focuses on guiding organisations from limited or outdated understandings of neurodivergence towards a modern, practical and human-centred perspective. Alongside this, Connor is particularly passionate about developing new approaches that help organisations better understand neurodivergent experiences and embed accessibility into the way they design products, services, and workplaces.
Connor is a member of the Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training Steering Group for NHS England, helping shape the national mandatory training programme on autism and learning disability for health and social care professionals, reaching approximately one million learners. Co-production and inclusive design are central to this work, principles Connor actively champions when working with organisations to ensure lived experience voices are meaningfully represented.
He is particularly proud of his work with Brain in Hand, where he helped develop their co-production approach to building their coaching platform. This work contributed to the organisation winning a Burberry British Diversity Award in 2023, and Connor also received his first collaborator credit on a published research paper through the project.
Since 2018, Connor has worked closely with the Autism and ADHD Show, curating stages focused on lived experience speakers. Over the years, he has coached hundreds of neurodivergent speakers to develop their confidence and communication skills, while also broadening representation within the speaking community. He also shares his own insights with thousands of attendees annually.
Connor regularly speaks to a wide range of audiences, from large public events such as MCM Comic Con and Musical Con to professional conferences including the National Autistic Society’s Professionals Conference, tailoring his approach to engage each audience effectively.
Additionally, Connor regularly contributes to national and international media, using his expertise to help audiences better understand neurodivergence and lived experience. He has appeared across television and radio, including segments with BBC, ITV News, Channel 4, Sky News, and Al Jazeera.
Through his consultancy work, Connor works directly with organisations to identify how their products, services, and workplaces can become more accessible to neurodivergent people. Often this begins with small, practical improvements, while also exploring innovative ways to future-proof accessibility and inclusion.
Connor has worked with some of the world’s most recognisable brands and organisations, including Disney, Strictly Come Dancing, and the Department for Transport. He is also committed to influencing policy and legislation, contributing to work within Westminster and currently serving as a Neurodiversity Champion for UK Parliament. Most recently, he was invited to give evidence to the House of Lords select committee reviewing the Autism Act to help transform future policy.
Connor is deeply passionate about improving accessibility and inclusion. His work often begins with solutions that make life easier for himself, then expands to support the wider neurodivergent community, ultimately creating improvements that benefit everyone.
Rather than retrofitting accessibility into existing systems, Connor advocates for designing things properly from the start. If something does not work for neurodivergent people, he believes it likely was not working as well as it could for anyone.
Connor is a member of the Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training Steering Group for NHS England, helping shape the national mandatory training programme on autism and learning disability for health and social care professionals, reaching approximately one million learners. Co-production and inclusive design are central to this work, principles Connor actively champions when working with organisations to ensure lived experience voices are meaningfully represented.
He is particularly proud of his work with Brain in Hand, where he helped develop their co-production approach to building their coaching platform. This work contributed to the organisation winning a Burberry British Diversity Award in 2023, and Connor also received his first collaborator credit on a published research paper through the project.
Since 2018, Connor has worked closely with the Autism and ADHD Show, curating stages focused on lived experience speakers. Over the years, he has coached hundreds of neurodivergent speakers to develop their confidence and communication skills, while also broadening representation within the speaking community. He also shares his own insights with thousands of attendees annually.
Connor regularly speaks to a wide range of audiences, from large public events such as MCM Comic Con and Musical Con to professional conferences including the National Autistic Society’s Professionals Conference, tailoring his approach to engage each audience effectively.
Additionally, Connor regularly contributes to national and international media, using his expertise to help audiences better understand neurodivergence and lived experience. He has appeared across television and radio, including segments with BBC, ITV News, Channel 4, Sky News, and Al Jazeera.
Through his consultancy work, Connor works directly with organisations to identify how their products, services, and workplaces can become more accessible to neurodivergent people. Often this begins with small, practical improvements, while also exploring innovative ways to future-proof accessibility and inclusion.
Connor has worked with some of the world’s most recognisable brands and organisations, including Disney, Strictly Come Dancing, and the Department for Transport. He is also committed to influencing policy and legislation, contributing to work within Westminster and currently serving as a Neurodiversity Champion for UK Parliament. Most recently, he was invited to give evidence to the House of Lords select committee reviewing the Autism Act to help transform future policy.
Connor is deeply passionate about improving accessibility and inclusion. His work often begins with solutions that make life easier for himself, then expands to support the wider neurodivergent community, ultimately creating improvements that benefit everyone.
Rather than retrofitting accessibility into existing systems, Connor advocates for designing things properly from the start. If something does not work for neurodivergent people, he believes it likely was not working as well as it could for anyone.
|
Lydia HarrisLydia Harris is an award-winning Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DE&I) Specialist and neuroinclusion consultant, recognised for her impactful work advancing accessibility and equity for neurodivergent individuals across the workplace and wider society. With a strong blend of strategic leadership, technical expertise, and lived experience, Lydia has become a trusted voice in shaping inclusive environments that enable people to thrive.
Over the past five years, Lydia has served as a DE&I Specialist within a global accountancy firm, where she has led the design and delivery of the organisation’s entire neurodiversity agenda. As the sole DE&I practitioner, she built the company’s Neurodiversity Network, authored its Neurodiversity Policy, and developed a comprehensive neurodiversity strategy from the ground up—embedding inclusive practices across a workforce of over 2,000 employees. Her work has directly supported employees through tailored coaching and guidance, while also influencing senior leadership and HR functions to adopt more inclusive, evidence-based approaches. |
A qualified Neurodiversity Workplace Needs Assessor (Level 4), Lydia has completed over 25 Workplace Needs Assessments, providing practical, person-centred recommendations that enable neurodivergent individuals to perform at their best. Her expertise is further strengthened by her strong analytical capability, leading on organisational DE&I data collection, survey design, and reporting to drive measurable change and accountability.
Lydia is an experienced and engaging speaker, regularly contributing to podcasts, webinars, and panel discussions. She has partnered with professional bodies such as the ICAEW to deliver thought leadership on neuroinclusion, and has designed and delivered training ranging from bespoke small-group workshops to large-scale organisational sessions and e-learning programmes. Her work consistently translates complex concepts into accessible, actionable insights for diverse audiences.
Beyond the corporate environment, Lydia is a passionate advocate for systemic change. She has collaborated with the National Autistic Society as both a former Young Ambassador and freelance contributor, supporting campaigns, media engagement, and content development. Her influence extends into public policy, having been called to give evidence to a Parliamentary House of Lords Select Committee reviewing the Autism Act, where she contributed her expertise to national discussions on improving outcomes for autistic people.
Lydia also serves as an advisor on neuro-accessibility within the UK Parliament as an Autistic Champion, helping to shape more inclusive public engagement practices. Her commitment to safeguarding and wellbeing is reflected in her Designated Safeguarding Lead (Level 3) qualification, ensuring her work is underpinned by strong ethical and protective frameworks.
Her contributions have been formally recognised through accolades including a High Commendation from the Business Disability Forum’s Disability Smart D&I Professional Award and recognition from the Inspiring Workplaces Awards.
Driven by both professional expertise and personal commitment, Lydia Harris continues to be a leading force in neuroinclusion—bridging strategy and lived experience to create workplaces and systems where neurodivergent individuals are not only supported, but empowered to succeed.
Lydia is an experienced and engaging speaker, regularly contributing to podcasts, webinars, and panel discussions. She has partnered with professional bodies such as the ICAEW to deliver thought leadership on neuroinclusion, and has designed and delivered training ranging from bespoke small-group workshops to large-scale organisational sessions and e-learning programmes. Her work consistently translates complex concepts into accessible, actionable insights for diverse audiences.
Beyond the corporate environment, Lydia is a passionate advocate for systemic change. She has collaborated with the National Autistic Society as both a former Young Ambassador and freelance contributor, supporting campaigns, media engagement, and content development. Her influence extends into public policy, having been called to give evidence to a Parliamentary House of Lords Select Committee reviewing the Autism Act, where she contributed her expertise to national discussions on improving outcomes for autistic people.
Lydia also serves as an advisor on neuro-accessibility within the UK Parliament as an Autistic Champion, helping to shape more inclusive public engagement practices. Her commitment to safeguarding and wellbeing is reflected in her Designated Safeguarding Lead (Level 3) qualification, ensuring her work is underpinned by strong ethical and protective frameworks.
Her contributions have been formally recognised through accolades including a High Commendation from the Business Disability Forum’s Disability Smart D&I Professional Award and recognition from the Inspiring Workplaces Awards.
Driven by both professional expertise and personal commitment, Lydia Harris continues to be a leading force in neuroinclusion—bridging strategy and lived experience to create workplaces and systems where neurodivergent individuals are not only supported, but empowered to succeed.