A lift out of service changes a building more for some people than for others.

A sign on a lift is a mild inconvenience to some people and a closed building to others. Anyone using a chair, anyone with a heart condition, a pram, a delivery, or painful knees is not delayed by the stairs; they are stopped by them. The same notice therefore says two entirely different things depending on who reads it.

When a lift, ramp or accessible toilet goes out where you work or live, treat it as urgent rather than as routine maintenance. Asking for a date, an alternative route and a clear sign is often more effective coming from someone who is not the one shut out.