What this framework is built on
These principles define how NEI is designed, governed, and evolved. They are intended to be permanent — specific practices may change, but the principles do not.
Purpose first
Human outcomes drive every decision. The framework exists to improve workplaces for neurodivergent people. Technical architecture serves that mission; it does not replace it. When technical elegance and human impact conflict, human impact wins.
Evidence-informed
Indicators are grounded in peer-reviewed research, community-sourced experience, and auditable public signals. Opinion and convention are not sufficient grounds for inclusion. Dissenting evidence is documented alongside supporting evidence — the framework acknowledges uncertainty rather than hiding it.
Open by default
The framework is publicly licensed (CC BY-NC 4.0), community-governed, and developed transparently. No part of it should be proprietary by default. Openness is not just a distribution choice — it is a governance commitment.
Standards as code
Indicators, taxonomy, and releases are managed like software: version-controlled, diff-able, and traceable. Change history is permanent and public. The tools of software development — Git, structured data formats, stable identifiers — are the tools of standards development in this framework.
Machine-readable knowledge
Every indicator has a unique, stable identifier and a structured data representation. The framework is designed to be used by software systems, not only by human readers. Machine readability is a first-class requirement, not an afterthought.
Stable references
Identifiers are immutable. Once assigned, an NDI identifier refers to exactly one concept forever. Versions track change without breaking references. Any citation made today remains valid indefinitely — a guarantee that enables research, policy, and software integration to rely on the framework.
Modular and evolvable
Indicators can be added, revised, or retired without affecting others. The taxonomy can evolve independently of indicator definitions. The framework is designed to grow without becoming brittle — new evidence and new domains can be accommodated without requiring wholesale revision.