February 27, 2026
The DIVAS of The Women’s Centre are proud to share the result of their recent work with Durham University on Co-designing inclusive police spaces.
Who are the DIVAS?
The DIVAS are volunteers with learning disabilities and/or are neurodivergent. The DIVAS are all survivors of abuse and experts by experience. We work together with different communities, including national and local organisations to remove barriers, deliver training, develop collaborative working and support survivors of abuse.
Through online workshop and physical visits the DIVAS worked with Us Too and other lived experience co-researchers to find out the answer to these questions:
- How do police spaces like interview rooms and waiting areas affect people with learning disabilities, and/or are autistic/ neurodivergent?
- What can help make these spaces feel safer and more welcoming for people with different sensory needs?
- What can we suggest to the police to make things better for victim-survivors with learning disabilities, and/or autistic/ neuro divergent victim-survivors?
During their research they identifies that environmental factors such as noise, lighting, spacing, temperature and smells can influence how a person with with learning disabilities and neurodiversity responds and communicates whilst in police spaces. They made recommendations that police waiting rooms are made feel more comfortable by having different seating options, charging ports, reading material, the offer of refreshments and welcoming décor such as plants and paintings, to help people relax. Other suggestions included providing interpreters, support workers, a sensory box and not rushing the process. Overall it was recommended that the police ask what each individual needs upon arrival and be sensitive to other's overstimulation.
Their findings and these recommendations have been compiled into a report that has been sent to the police about on how to make police spaces more inclusive.
You can find their full Easy Read Report here.
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