RE: https://social.joelle.us/@joelle/117527423586381628
For PyCon AU 2023, we paid a non-trivial amount extra (I can’t disclose how much) to have a ramp on our main stage, as compared to the standard setup that was steps only.
We didn’t have specific speakers that we knew about that absolutely needed that ramp, but it means that I can say with confidence that nobody looked at a stage with stairs and felt like they didn’t belong on that stage, and it also means that nobody had that particular barrier to access for lightning talks or other things where you might get on stage without having planned to in advance.
And I have no idea how many people that applies to, because stairs can be a challenge even for people with invisible disabilities that they haven’t disclosed to us as organisers and we obviously can’t ask.
Everything is a cost-benefit tradeoff, but it’s important to consider “sending a message about who belongs” among the benefits.
If I could tell conferences one thing, it's: spend some money on accessibility, even if you don't think anyone needs it. If nobody on your volunteer group knows how to do this, treat it like other things you pay for and hire a consultant.
Yes, it'll cost money. But it'll cost less than shitty overpriced hotel or conference center snacks.
And, yes, disabled people notice when we're less important than shitty snacks.
