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🧠 Livable Worlds Checklist: A Practical Audit for Building Environments You Can Exist In

Home » The Stimpunks Design Method » 🧠 Livable Worlds Checklist: A Practical Audit for Building Environments You Can Exist In

(Use this to audit a space, routine, kit, or system)
Based on: Crafting Livable Worlds: Sensory, Creative, and Nonhuman Supports in Autistic Adults’ Everyday Lives – Megan Catherine Rose, Deborah Lupton, 2026

0. The baseline question

Before anything else:

Can I exist here without constant self-defense?

If the answer is no, nothing else matters yet.

⚖️ 1. Regulation (Can I stay stable?)

☐ I can reduce sound (headphones, earplugs, control)
☐ I can control light (dim, block, adjust)
☐ I have access to grounding objects (textures, weight, familiar items)
☐ I can stim or fidget without hiding
☐ I can take sensory breaks without penalty
☐ There is a predictable sensory baseline (not chaotic)

Fail signal:
You’re bracing, masking, or enduring.

🧰 2. Portable Supports (Can I bring my world with me?)

☐ I can carry what I need (bag, pockets, mobility aids)
☐ My supports are allowed in this space (not “unprofessional”)
☐ I don’t have to explain or justify using them
☐ I have a “minimum viable kit” for bad days
☐ I have backups or substitutes

Fail signal:
You’re stranded when you leave home.

🔁 3. Predictability & Flow (Can I stay in motion?)

☐ I know what happens next (clear structure)
☐ I can repeat helpful inputs (music, routines, loops)
☐ I can resume tasks without friction after interruption
☐ I’m not forced into constant context switching
☐ There are clear start/stop points

Fail signal:
You stall, freeze, or burn out from switching.

🧮 4. Decision Load (How much thinking is required just to function?)

☐ Common tasks are pre-decided or templated
☐ I’m not choosing from too many options
☐ Visual structure helps me know what to do
☐ I can offload memory (lists, systems, reminders)
☐ “Low energy mode” is built in

Fail signal:
You’re exhausted before you even start.

🧸 5. Identity Safety (Can I be myself here?)

☐ My objects and aesthetics are allowed (not policed)
☐ I don’t have to hide what regulates me
☐ I’m not pressured to look “professional” in a narrow way
☐ My interests and expressions are welcome
☐ I can exist without masking my traits

Fail signal:
You feel childish, wrong, or exposed.

🌱 6. Environment Fit (Does the space adapt to me?)

☐ I can modify the space (lighting, layout, objects)
☐ There are multiple zones (quiet, active, soft, etc.)
☐ I can control proximity to others
☐ There are places to retreat without leaving entirely
☐ The environment supports—not fights—my bodymind

Fail signal:
You’re constantly compensating for the space.

🧠 7. Nonhuman Supports (Am I supported beyond people?)

☐ I have access to regulating objects (tools, textures, devices)
☐ Plants, animals, or sensory elements are present if helpful
☐ Digital environments (music, games, apps) are usable
☐ I can engage in parallel play (not forced interaction)
☐ I have anchors that don’t depend on other people

Fail signal:
Everything depends on social energy you don’t have.

🎨 8. Play & Immersion (Do I have places to be absorbed?)

☐ I can engage deeply in interests without interruption
☐ Play is allowed (not treated as trivial)
☐ I have access to immersive activities (art, games, etc.)
☐ I can use these for regulation without guilt
☐ My focus is protected, not fragmented

Fail signal:
Everything feels shallow, interrupted, or performative.

🧩 9. Routines & Systems (Do I have scaffolding?)

☐ I have routines that reduce friction
☐ My systems are mine (not imposed)
☐ Tools fit my brain, not the other way around
☐ I can adjust systems when they stop working
☐ My setup supports continuity across days

Fail signal:
You’re rebuilding your life from scratch every day.

⚠️ 10. Stigma Pressure (What am I hiding?)

☐ I can visibly use supports without judgment
☐ Policies (formal or informal) allow my needs
☐ I’m not “getting away with it”—it’s normal
☐ I don’t have to trade dignity for access
☐ I’m not burning energy managing others’ perceptions

Fail signal:
You’re constantly editing yourself.

🌍 11. Sustainability (Can I keep doing this?)

☐ This setup works on bad days, not just good ones
☐ It reduces burnout, not just delays it
☐ It scales across contexts (home, work, travel)
☐ I can maintain it without excessive effort
☐ It supports recovery cycles

Fail signal:
It only works when you’re already doing well.

🧭 How to actually use this

1. Quick audit (5 minutes)

Scan each section
Mark:
✅ works
⚠️ partial
❌ broken

2. Find your top 2 failure points

Not everything—just the biggest drains.

3. Fix one thing

Examples:

add headphones → instant regulation gain
create a staging area → reduces friction
allow visible objects → reduces masking

4. Re-test

Ask again:

Is it easier to exist now?

🧠 The mindset shift (don’t skip this)

This checklist is not about optimizing yourself.

It’s about:

👉 reducing the cost of being alive in a misfitting world
👉 building environments that meet you halfway (or more)

🧰 Build Your Livable World

Use this checklist to audit your life. Then use these pages to actually change it.

This isn’t about fixing yourself.
It’s about assembling a world that meets you where you are.

🧠 Start With Your Bodymind

Before tools, before optimization—start here:

→ This Chronic Bodymind: How We Cope
Understand your bodymind, your limits, and your patterns.

🎒 Build Portable Regulation

Make sure you can function outside your home:

→ Sensory Kit
Create a sensory kit that travels with you.

🛋 Create Soft, Supportive Spaces

Stop holding your body up all day:

→ Pillows: Separate, Isolate, Bolster, Squeeze
Use pillows and soft structures to support, isolate, and regulate.

🚶 Reduce the Cost of Moving Through the World

Movement shouldn’t drain all your energy:

→ Sitting, Standing, Walking, Rolling, Hauling, Relaxing
Design how you sit, stand, walk, roll, haul, and rest.

🍽 Sustain Your Body on Low Energy Days

Make care possible even when you’re depleted:

→ Dressing, Eating, Hydrating, Hygiene
Simplify dressing, eating, hydrating, and hygiene.

🛠 Extend Your Reach and Control

Reduce friction in everyday interactions:

→ Reaching, Gripping, Grabbing, Fastening, Finding, Opening, Lighting
Make your environment easier to interact with.

🪑 Support Thinking Through Positioning

Your posture shapes your cognition:

→ Articulation & Surfaces
Adjust surfaces and articulation to reduce strain and support focus.

🃏 Name What’s Not Working

Some failure points are hard to put into words in the moment. A deck can help you point to them:

→ Cavendish Cards
A free, CC0 deck for naming sensory and interaction needs — point to how you feel and what you need, no words required. Artwork in progress.

🔁 How to Use This

Run the Livable Worlds Checklist
Find what’s breaking (not everything—just the biggest friction)
Use the pages above to fix one thing
Re-test your setup

🧭 The Goal

You’re not building a perfect system.

You’re building a world where:

you don’t have to hide your supports
you don’t burn energy just to exist
you can stay regulated, focused, and yourself

If it feels easier to be alive in your setup, you’re doing it right.