When access gets handled onsite
An examination of how unresolved risk is carried forward quietly.
Access problems don’t usually show up as emergencies.
They show up as quiet workarounds.
And before somebody says, “But Kesha, our events don’t have that many people,” let’s be clear about what the math actually says.
Roughly one in four people is disabled.
That means even a 1,000-person event includes about 250 people navigating access needs.
That’s not a corner case.
That’s a whole section of the room.
BOOKED
The question gets parked.
We’ll see what the venue can do. We’ll adjust day of.
Nobody thinks they’re making a risky call, because the impact doesn’t look dramatic on a spreadsheet.
BUSY
Onsite, the workaround becomes personal.
In this case, a participant navigated long distances without seating because accommodations were never finalized.
The program stayed on schedule.
The person left early.
No one flagged it as an incident.
BUILT DIFFERENT
Built different leadership doesn’t rely on adaptation.
It confirms what bodies will need before doors open.
Not because it looks good, but because it decides who pays when the plan meets reality.
If access is deferred, the cost still shows up.
It just doesn’t interrupt the agenda.
For the folks already doing the math:
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Thank you for this. Afterthoughts are no thoughts. Few have learned that long COVID is considered by the US a disability. Most of us with it have disabilities not always seen by others. Hearing aids now are so small they often aren’t seen. Clue: if someone with whom you’re talking nods and smiles lots and doesn’t respond it’s possible they are deaf or hard of hearing. Anticipate!
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