International Neurodiversity & the Built Environment Symposium: Building Empathy
Fri, Mar 27
|Lawrence Field DEC Center - Jefferson U
Join Ev and other advocates for discussions about the built environment and accessibility. See a screening of “Voices: Listeners in the Noise,” a documentary that explores how a/Autistic people navigate urban soundscapes & attend a panel discussion with the interviewees (including Ev) following it.
Time & Location
Mar 27, 2026, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Lawrence Field DEC Center - Jefferson U, 4201 Henry Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19144, USA
About the event
Marking its sixth year, the International Neurodiversity & the Built Environment Symposium explores how design can honor diverse sensory, cognitive, and relational experiences. This year’s theme, Building Empathy, invites cross‑disciplinary practitioners, researchers, artists, and self‑advocates to rethink how environments can support dignity, agency, and belonging. The symposium examines how empathetic, art‑informed approaches can move beyond accommodation toward more caring, collaborative, and human‑centered futures.
This year builds on the momentum of our previous symposia—FALL 2020: Building Community & Rethinking the Built Environment, FALL 2021: Immersive Experiences, FALL 2022: PlaceMaking, SPRING 2024: Intentional Connections, and SPRING 2025: Interdependence in Action. Together, these cross‑disciplinary gatherings foster international dialogue among neurodivergent individuals, communities, advocacy groups, and professionals across design, health, art, and technology.