Building Belonging

As part of our topic of self-care, we caught up with Nicholas to discuss how AT can enable connection for people with disability, in particular those who identify as neurodivergent, and the importance of lived experience.

Social media and digital platforms are now one of the primary ways people form and maintain relationships. For many people, especially those who experience barriers to in-person connection, they aren’t a “nice to have” — they’re essential infrastructure for belonging.

Apps can remove friction that exists in the physical world: geography, energy limits, sensory overload, social anxiety, or unpredictable health. When designed well, they allow people to connect on their own terms, at their own pace, and in ways that feel safe and sustainable.

The key difference is intention. Most mainstream social platforms are optimised for attention and performance. Platforms like Spoony are intentionally designed for connection, support, and safety.

Disabled, neurodivergent, and chronically ill people are more likely to experience isolation — not because they don’t want connection, but because the world often isn’t built to include them. Barriers like fatigue, pain, sensory sensitivity, access, stigma, and unpredictable health can make traditional social spaces inaccessible.

Digital platforms can be essential communication tools. They allow people to show up when they can, step back when they need to, and still feel part of a community. For many people, these platforms are the difference between being isolated and feeling seen, understood, and supported.

Spoony came from lived experience.

I built a career in film and advertising before becoming seriously ill in my early 30s. I experienced long periods of being bedbound, lost professional opportunities, and — most significantly — deep social isolation. I couldn’t find spaces that felt safe, stigma-free, and genuinely designed for people navigating disability, chronic illness, or neurodivergence.

Existing platforms weren’t built for that reality. They were either too clinical, too performative, or actively unsafe.

Spoony was created to solve that problem: a social app designed specifically for people who are often excluded from mainstream social spaces. A place to make friends, find support, and connect without fear or pressure.

From the beginning, Spoony wasn’t built for the community — it was built with the community.

Lived experience was foundational — not a consultation step at the end.

The core team behind Spoony includes people who are neurodivergent, chronically ill, and disabled. That meant design decisions were informed by real needs, not assumptions. Things like pacing, language, safety tools, and moderation weren’t theoretical — they reflected how people actually feel and behave in these spaces.

Beyond the team itself, we used:

• Co-design and continuous feedback from early users
• Beta testing with over a thousand community members
• Ongoing reviews and iteration based on lived experience, not just metrics

The community isn’t an afterthought — they’re central stakeholders in the product.

Safety is one of Spoony’s core pillars.

Key features include:

• Strong moderation and reporting tools, designed to be easy to use even when someone is overwhelmed or low on energy
• Clear community guidelines with zero tolerance for harassment, ableism, or discrimination
• Content and interaction controls, so people can choose how and when they engage
• A slower, less performative social model, reducing pressure to respond, post, or “keep up”

We intentionally avoid design patterns that reward outrage, virality, or comparison — all of which can be particularly harmful for neurodivergent people.

Accessibility was embedded from day one.

This included:

• Working closely with various accessibility consultants during the design process
• Ensuring the team undertook accessibility training
• Designing with clear language, predictable navigation, and low cognitive load
• Considering energy limitations, sensory sensitivity, and executive function in UX decisions

Accessibility isn’t treated as a checklist or a compliance exercise. It’s an ongoing commitment, informed by real people using the product every day.

If you'd like to learn more about Spoony, you can check out their website and download the Spoony app from the app store.

For more about other apps for connection, check out the recent Facebook post highlighting a variety of different apps in addition to Spoony, and follow our page to stay in touch.