Episode 56: Trust over control: autism and universal design at Schiphol airport
Published on 28 October 2025 • Hosted by Dr Lisa Colledge
The future of inclusion isn’t about offering more accommodations. It’s about creating systems that anticipate difference.
When I flew with my autistic son for the first time in seven years, Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport showed me what that looks like in practice, and what it can teach leaders designing for cognitive diversity.
If you’d like to explore how to systematize neuro-inclusion in your team, drop me an email or reserve time for a free Performance Leaks Audit. A team that runs on trust instead of control feels a lot better, for everyone - and it performs better too.
The story
Our trip could easily have been impossible. All the ingredients for overwhelm were there: noise, queues, unpredictability. But Schiphol’s support system was quietly exceptional.
No diagnosis was requested, no forms, no explanations. Just staff who understood invisible differences, who asked what we needed, and who treated us with calm professionalism and trust.
From separate transfers to a cockpit visit and a Pikachu cuddly toy that became an anchor, the experience proved that inclusion isn’t about control; it’s about belief in people’s needs and good intent.
The leadership lesson
The same principle should apply in organizations. When teams rely on accommodations alone, they fragment.
As Jakub Rajski told me: “Inconsistency opens the door to discrimination issues. The most effective organisations embed inclusive practices in their culture, not as exceptions.”
That’s what my FIT cultural model captures:
Fair: everyone has the same opportunity to succeed.
Intentional: inclusion is designed in, not added later.
Team-minded: responsibility is shared, not carried by one person.
The takeaway
When systems anticipate difference, trust becomes the default, and team performance follows.
The goal isn’t perfection. It’s progress. Even being 40% there is far better than waiting for perfect.
Ask yourself:
How do you want your team to be described: chaotic or organized, blame-driven or respectful, pressured or trusted?
The working culture you offer your team is a choice. And designing for difference makes work better for everyone.
