We have just returned from Groningen, The Netherlands, where we hosted our first international conference dedicated to accessibility. It was a valuable experience to share both professional expertise and lived experience with an audience representing public organisations and private businesses across the Netherlands.
In this blog post, we highlight the key takeaways from The Good Access Conference and why it’s clearer than ever that the accessible market is not only real, but ready to be served. Now, it’s up to businesses —whether global or local— to meet that opportunity and serve their customers well.
Access is experienced in the gaps
Accessibility often exists until it suddenly stops. Partial solutions create confusion and exclusion, even when intentions are good. During our trip we noticed several features that weren’t consistent and therefore confusing for disabled people:
- Tactile paving changing type and contrast without consultation
- Wayfinding and tactile guidance stopping halfway through the Amsterdam Airport
As a core insight, it’s important to note that accessibility is not just about adding features. It is about continuity, follow‑through and lived experience.
Lived experience is not theoretical
Disability, neurodivergence, and access needs show up in real, everyday ways, at work and at events. That is why it’s essential to understand, respect, and provide for different ways of participating, including offering rest areas for people who need to follow their own schedule:
- Ultimately, this helps prevent chronic fatigue and recognises that rest is not optional, but necessary during events like conferences.
- It also means providing practical support, such as safe spaces where hearing aids can be left to charge. ADHD and deafness do not take turns, they coexist and must be accommodated together.
These are not edge cases; they are everyday realities for many people.
Recovery matters as much as the moment
The impact of inaccessible environments does not end when the event or interaction is over.
“When I have a meltdown, it takes me a year to recover from it.”, by Heike J. Knip, CEO and Co-Founder at, The Good Consulting Company.
Accessibility decisions have long-term consequences, not just short-term effects.
Accessible communication is foundational
How we communicate determines who can participate, understand and act. This was clearly highlighted in one of the most popular sessions of the conference, “Don’t call me”, on accessible communication, where Caitlin Quinn, Chief of Creative Access at The Good Consulting Company said:
“Don’t write a paragraph if you can write a sentence. And that sentence needs to clearly state what the problem is.”
This reflects that clarity is not simplification. It is respect.
Accessibility is an economic decision
Inclusive practices are not just ethical. They are financially sound: Return on accessibility can be up to $100 for every $1 invested. This is a hundred to one. That is not corporate social responsibility return, that is a clear business return. If any other initiative in your business portfolio delivered that number, you would scale it immediately.
Failing to invest in accessibility costs organisations more in the long run.
Disability is not a niche
Disabled people are not a small group on the margins: 1.3 Billion people globally live with a disability
Disability is the largest minority.
Designing for disability means designing for a significant part of society, which control $13 Trillion of annual disposable income worldwide.
Proactive action saves lives
Accessibility and inclusion are directly connected to wellbeing and safety.
Data shows increased suicide risk among autistic people: We need to act early, not react late. Awareness, inclusion and thoughtful design are preventative, not optional.
Act now or pay more later
Delaying accessibility increases both human and organisational cost: Proactive inclusion is always more effective than retrofitting solutions after harm has occurred.
Final thoughts
The Good Access Conference exists to bridge the gap between good intentions and real outcomes. Because accessibility is not about perfection. It is about follow‑through.
Accessibility isn’t just about meeting standards. It’s about making sure nobody’s left out.
In this wrap‑up, we’re sharing reflections, insights and questions from the day that we hope will shape decisions long after the conference ended.
Stay tuned for more blog posts about accessibility and how organisations can easily implement it in their workplace to correctly served their employees as well as their customers.
