(And why that question misses the point)
It’s a question I’ve been asked in different ways, in various rooms, by various people.
Sometimes it’s playful. Sometimes it’s uncomfortable. Sometimes it’s said with a bit of fatigue—“We’re doing the best we can. Why focus on what’s not working?”
But here’s the thing:
I’m not looking for the problems. I’m pointing to the invisible barriers that have been there all along.
Because if you’re a disabled person navigating systems that weren’t built for you, you don’t get to opt out of noticing. The barriers aren’t theoretical. They’re lived. Daily.
And when you’ve lived with those barriers, it becomes very clear that “business as usual” doesn’t work for everyone.
Noticing problems isn’t about being negative. It’s about being honest.
Disability inclusion work often means shining a light on what’s invisible to others.
It’s noticing:
- The accessible toilet is being used for storage.
- The leadership training utilising exclusionary practices.
- The form times out before a screen reader can get through it.
- The workplace event that didn’t consider access from the outset.
- The recruitment process that screens people out before their skills are even seen.
- The “accessible” website that can’t be navigated without a mouse.
- The workplace initiative that went ahead without co-designing with disabled people.
- The workplace communications that only go out in one format.
- The committee meetings are always scheduled at times that exclude carers.
- That the phrase “we don’t get many complaints” often means “we don’t make it safe to speak up.”
This kind of noticing can make people uncomfortable. It can make teams feel like they’re being judged or that their good work isn’t enough.
But here’s what I always come back to: If we’re not willing to see what’s getting in the way, how can we expect anything to change?
The risk of comfort is complacency.
Sometimes, systems are working effectively because they are designed to serve the people who built them.
But when we start from a position of comfort, we often centre the people already in the room.
And that’s where the real danger sits: in the invisible assumptions. The unspoken norms. The habits that go unquestioned because “they’ve always been fine.”
But fine for whom?
So what does it look like to ‘notice the problems’?
Here’s where this becomes practical—because noticing isn’t enough on its own. It has to lead somewhere.
Here are 10 things to take away and use in your work today:
1. Create space for friction, not just celebration.
If your inclusion efforts only highlight wins, you’re missing the chance to learn from what’s not working.
Try this: At your next review or meeting, ask “Where did we unintentionally create barriers this quarter?”
2. Invite disabled people in—before there’s a complaint.
If you only engage people with lived experience after something goes wrong, you’re already behind.
Try this: Co-design, don’t just consult. Invite feedback while there’s still time to adapt.
3. Make feedback easy, safe, and actionable.
Many access barriers go unreported because people don’t feel confident that anything will change.
Try this: Build in anonymous feedback options, and be transparent about what changes (or doesn’t).
4. Train your teams to notice patterns.
It’s not just about individual issues—it’s about noticing who keeps getting left out.
Try this: Track engagement data with an inclusion lens. Who’s consistently absent, silent, or withdrawing?
5. Treat resistance as information, not opposition.
If people push back, it usually means you’re touching something important.
Try this: Get curious. Ask, “What are we worried might happen if we change this?”
6. Review the “default” settings.
Default processes often reflect the needs of those already in the room, not those missing from it.
Try this: Audit your forms, meeting times, and communication channels. Whose needs are built in — and whose are assumed to adapt?
7. Be transparent about decision-making.
Inclusion falls apart when people don’t know how or why decisions were made.
Try this: Share the criteria, steps, and reasoning behind key decisions. It builds trust and makes space for constructive challenge.
8. Test your inclusion efforts in real-world conditions.
What works in theory can break down quickly in practice.
Try this: Ask people with different access needs to test your event, process, or space before it launches. Act on what they find.
9. Remove “one-off” fixes from your strategy.
Quick wins can be helpful, but they’re not a substitute for systemic change.
Try this: For every short-term solution, map the long-term change it should feed into — and assign ownership.
10. Hold leaders accountable for modelling inclusion.
If leaders don’t prioritise it, neither will the organisation.
Try this: Make disability inclusion part of leadership KPIs, performance reviews, and meeting agendas — not an optional extra.
Final thought: Noticing is a form of care
Calling out what’s not working doesn’t mean the work is failing. It means the work is happening.
It means we’re no longer pretending that inclusion is easy or finished. It means we care enough to move past lip service.
So the next time someone asks, “Why are you always looking for the problems?” Maybe the answer is:
“Because that’s where the work begins. And I want us to do better.”
Because that’s what I want for every client I work with.
