The Federation of Master Builders (FMB) is supporting the launch of a new construction management platform designed to support neurodiverse builders
The platform has been specially created to support neurodivergent construction employees.
Members of the FMB will potentially be the first to have access to the platform, as it is being developed by a member, TRADEWAYS Technologies Limited.
TRADEWAYS is a neurodiverse business
The platform has been developed with the needs of various neurodiverse conditions in mind, including ADHD and dyslexia. According to industry data, around one-in-four construction workers has a neurodiverse condition. 52% of UK tradespeople consider themselves neurodiverse, and 59% who have experienced mental ill health are neurodivergent.
This suggests that the work environment does not support neurodivergent workers enough.
The same data also shows that 34% of neurodiverse workers in construction said that their neurodiverse condition contributed greatly to their desire to work in the industry, making it an important aspect for many worker’s careers, but 40% of neurodiverse construction workers have not disclosed their condition to their employer, with a third being afraid of the associated stigma, while others simply “make-do” and struggle with tools not designed for them.
The tool is launching this week
In honour of Neurodiversity Celebration week (16-22 March), the FMB hopes to open the platform to members and industry professionals, preceding a full public release.
Brian Berry, chief executive of the Federation of Master Builders, said: “Construction has always attracted neurodiverse talent as the practical, problem-solving nature of the work suits a huge range of creative-thinking styles. For too long, the administrative side of running a building business has worked against neurodiverse people rather than for them, but Louise has identified something incredibly important. Her new system TRADEWAYS, designed for people in the building industry with neurodiversity is exactly the kind of innovation the industry needs – built from lived experience and designed with a genuine understanding for people with neuro-diverse needs.”
Louise Tingley, founder of TRADEWAYS Technologies Limited, added: “I spent years fighting my own software. I was spending more time on administration than on the work I loved, getting overwhelmed by platforms that weren’t built for the way my brain works and I knew I couldn’t be alone. TRADEWAYS is what I needed and couldn’t find. Everything in one place, designed to calm rather than overwhelm, with AI that supports you rather than replaces you. Neurodiversity Celebration Week felt like the right moment to launch because this platform is, at its heart, a celebration of the fact that different brains build brilliant things.
“The TRADEWAYS platform features a dyslexia-friendly font, colour-tinted dashboards calibrated to calm rather than overstimulate, and text-to-speech functionality throughout. AI integration assists with quoting, pricing gap analysis, and tax processes, reducing the administrative burden that many neurodiverse business owners find most overwhelming. The platform is UK-built and UK-specific.”
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