Think like a detective: What is missing… and who is missing?

It's easiest to look at who IS coming to your site and your events. But what happens when you think like a detective & ask, "Who's missing?"

Christina Blust
July 12, 2023
Tips & Guides
2 mins

This Disability Pride Month, we’re looking at different facets of accessibility.

Paying attention to who is absent

It’s easiest to look at who IS coming to your site and to your events. You can see what pages on your site are most popular, how many calls you received about a program, or how many people came to your last event.

But it can be very enlightening to think instead about what information—and what groups of folks—may be missing. For instance:

Location accessibility information

Maybe your “Directions” page on your website is popular and is working great for the majority of people currently coming to your location. But are some folks not visiting because they are unsure if their accommodations will be met? Does your page fail to include accessibility information (like the location of ramps or elevators for those who need them)?

Alternate contact methods

Maybe your receptionist has gotten lots of calls from folks interested in a new initiative. But are you missing out on those whose physical or mental situation makes phone calls challenging? Have you provided an alternate contact method (like email or a contact form) to be sure these folks can reach out?

In-person considerations

Maybe your last in-person event was really well attended. But did the crowd exclude those who couldn’t attend your in-person event for various health concerns or individual circumstances? How could you diversify and expand your event’s reach, or accommodate those who could perhaps only attend virtually?

As you know, we’re big fans of gathering data and information about your website and initiatives, and taking action based on what you learn. What might be even better if you also took a moment to reflect on who is not present in your data? How could you welcome and include them?

Top photo by Nathalia Segato on Unsplash.