Diversity in sound perception in survey to noise sensitive people and relevance for experimental and field Studies

Many daily life environments can be acoustically inadequate for some groups of people, like people with hearing or visual differences, or with higher noise sensitivity. With the aim of increasing acoustical inclusivity, the study presented in this paper explored the experiences of 311 noise sensitive participants, 59% of them (N=183) neurodivergent, through a mixed methods survey in English and Spanish. The survey investigated aspects related to individual perceptual characteristics such as habituation and capacity to filter out background sounds, the use of coping strategies, and perceived helpfulness of measures to reduce negative impacts. The partial results presented show a wide range of diversity among the participants in perception and preferences, as well as significant differences between the neurotypical and the neurodivergent groups. For most participants noise sensitivity was reported to increase with age, and many highlighted frequent dismissal and lack of understanding of their experiences throughout their lives, as well as inaction from organisations and authorities. The findings indicate that guidelines and recommendations could become more inclusive by accounting for perceptions and responses that go beyond the ”average ear”. Such adjustments would not only address the needs of individuals with heightened sound sensitivity but also benefit a broader population.