We constantly see events being held in venues that are simply not suitable for disabled people. Not occasionally. Not as a rare oversight. Consistently.

And it’s not because organisers don’t care. It’s because accessibility is still treated as a nice-to-have rather than a basic requirement of event planning. The result is predictable: disabled people are excluded long before the event even begins.

This isn’t about naming or shaming any organisation or venue. It’s about acknowledging a pattern that many disabled people already recognise, a pattern that continues even as more organisations publicly champion inclusion.

Accessibility isn’t vague. It isn’t subjective. It isn’t a matter of opinion. There are clear, practical, minimum standards that determine whether a venue is usable and safe for disabled people.

• Step-Free or Ramped Access
• An Accessible Toilet
• Appropriate Evacuation Procedures

Evacuation procedures are often overlooked. If a disabled attendee can enter a venue but cannot be evacuated safely in an emergency, the venue is not suitable to host an event.

In many places, we see organisations celebrating disability inclusion, highlighting support services, promoting disabled entrepreneurs, sharing positive stories, while continuing to host events in buildings that exclude disabled people by design.

The contradiction speaks for itself:

• Public messaging: We support disabled people.
• Operational reality: We booked a venue where disabled people cannot be evacuated safely.

This isn’t hypocrisy. It’s a gap, a gap between intention and practice. And gaps can be closed, but only when they’re acknowledged.

Inclusion isn’t achieved through statements, campaigns, or social media posts. It’s achieved through the everyday decisions that determine who can get through the door, use the toilet, and leave safely in an emergency.

When a business chooses a venue that doesn’t meet these basic standards, disabled people are excluded, not by accident, but by design.

Under the Equality Act 2010, event organisers are legally responsible for accessibility. If a venue can’t safely accommodate disabled people, it’s the organiser who could face legal action.

Accessibility isn’t optional – it’s a legal duty built into planning an event.