From sensory overload to a sense of control

Marathons will always have big crowds, lots of things happening at once, and plenty of noise. For some runners this is just another exciting part of marathon day, but the busy atmosphere can be overstimulating for many people, especially the neurodivergent community, such as those with autism. 

The National Autistic Society said their community “find the crowds, noise and other sensory experiences of mass participation events overwhelming.” 

So… how do we make sure that the marathon is a positive experience for everyone, and prevent sensory overload becoming a barrier for neurodivergent runners who want to take part?

 

VR, VR, VRoom 

Often, anxiety around large events stems from not knowing what to expect on the day, which makes it difficult to plan and prepare ahead of time. To tackle this, CGI partnered with Brighton Marathon and the National Autistic Society to create a virtual reality (VR) walkthrough of marathon day. 

Using footage from the 2024 marathon, the walkthrough captures what it feels like to run the marathon from the first-person view. So runners can experience the marathon virtually before the race and know exactly what to expect at each stage of the route, including the busiest spots like the start and finish lines and water stations. The aim is to help runners to feel more confident and prepared so they can hit the ground running (pun intended!).

A positive impact

We demoed the VR experience at Brighton Marathon Weekend and found 86% of users who identified as part of the neurodivergent community said the experience made them much more likely to enter a mass participation event in the future.

The project also gained coverage in local media, helping spread the word about the importance of neurodiversity inclusion and the power of tech for good:

BBC News     Computer Weekly

 

More VR for good

CGI first harnessed the power of VR to improve accessibility and inclusion in 2022 on a pro bono project with a school for children with Special Educational Needs (SEN). We created a VR version of a local supermarket that allows children to explore the realistic environment from the safety of their classroom to build their confidence. 

The school headteacher said “I’m blown away by the technology and knowing how it will build pupil’s confidence… The impact of this project has been far beyond what I imagined.”

Find out more

Helping Special Educational Needs students safely navigate new experiences

 

 

 

 

Neurodiversity inclusion at CGI

We’re committed to neurodiversity inclusion as part of our promise to create an unconditionally inclusive workplace where every CGI Partner is empowered to thrive in their career. 

Our UK Neuroverse Network is a vibrant and inclusive community that fosters understanding and empowerment for our neurodivergent members. The network hosts events, facilitates discussions, and offers support to those who need it

Find out more

 

Endless possibilities

We’ve explored the amazing potential of VR to improve accessibility and inclusion for the neurodivergent community and people with special educational needs, but we’re committed to using this technology in as many ways as possible. We believe the immersive and interactive nature of VR lends it to endless ‘Tech for Good’ opportunities across various industries and scenarios to improve user experiences and quality of life for many different groups of people.