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Kate, (John), Places that are inaccessible to people using wheelchairs and scooters... are usually inaccessible to a much larger population of PWD's with mobility disabilities who don't use those devices, or any device at all. So the immediate "consituency" to seek to mobilize, of people directly blocked from entry (if the barrier is a common one-- one or more unavoidable steps), is probably several times more people than the number of "wheelchair users" affected. The rhetoric of barrier removel = "wheelchair users" also undercuts support for barrier removal, by misleading people about how big the need is. Further, it can then seem to the general public, in istances of remedial work being done to buildings, that "we had to spend all this money, for this minuscule number of people", which ain't at all the true overall picture, but I have heard such confused perceptions expressed in public. In the past 2 weeks I have heard what seemed like about half the cost of a total building renovation, in effect, "blamed" on "wheelchair users" (in reality, the cost of accessibility in that project wasn't even 5%). A week later, in a public hearing, I have heard accessibility features in an essentially new building, mentioned in a public hearing as if they were just for "wheelchair users". This was being said by architects who were well-meaning, but still were reinforcing public confusion about the incidence of disability in society. Fortunately, I got to speak after them, and mentioned that research has shown that accessibility features in buildings get used by about 40% of the public, since some of these features associated with mobility disabilities are also used by non-disabled people pushing strollers, dragging along luggage, etc. How to find the "invisible" others excluded from buildings & events by steps? I know of no fast way, if you're in a hurry to do a protest. Better to try to notice & network with such people, all the time... then you'll meet some... and like in panning for gold, once in a while, a small percantage of them may turn out to be that rare precious nugget -- the person willing to drop the standard excuses, and join with ohters for a bit of constructive protest. Re: The book publication party.... even if the 'private party" excuses are sufficient to avoid relocating that party......, the publisher and the related school Dept. should recognise the discriminatory impact of that party, and therefor -- take responsibiity for organising ANOTHER event, of some type (with equal networking opportunities) to launch the book, and put that otner event in an accessible place. And point out that it's accessible, in the public notices or invitations. %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%