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About Me
Hi, I’m Riss Leitzke, the founder of EchoShift Consulting. I’m a DeafBlind consultant, organizer, and advocate based in Twin Cities, Minnesota. My work brings together lived experience, community knowledge, and an MBA-informed approach to systems, strategy, and organizational change.
My work is grounded in DeafBlind lived experience, community connection, and the belief that access should be shaped by the people most directly impacted by barriers. I support organizations through consulting, training, workshops, and program development that center practical, respectful, and community-informed change.
My approach
I bring a DeafBlind-centered perspective to work that is often discussed in abstract or compliance-based ways. For me, accessibility is not only about policy or accommodation; it is about communication, relationships, environment, and the everyday systems that shape whether people can participate fully.
I value work that is collaborative, clear, and grounded in real experience. I am especially interested in helping organizations move from intention to action in ways that are thoughtful, usable, and accountable to the communities they serve.
Why I do this work
EchoShift reflects a belief that communication and connection are not only heard or seen, but also felt. In DeafBlind community life, meaning is often carried through touch, presence, shared energy, and relationships.
That understanding shapes how I think about access, storytelling, education, and systems change. I care deeply about shifting how DeafBlind people are recognized, how information is gathered, and how institutions respond to lived experience with more honesty, dignity, and care.
Experience and focus
My areas of focus include:
DeafBlind access and inclusive communication
Staff training and workshops
Accessibility and equity consulting
Program and curriculum development
Community engagement and systems change
Future research and evaluation work
I also bring experience from advocacy, community organizing, accessibility-focused education, and work that intersects disability, race, and equity in institutional spaces.
A personal note
I believe the strongest work happens when people feel respected, understood, and included from the beginning. My goal is not just to advise from a distance, but to help create conditions where access becomes more real, more relational, and more sustainable.
ID: front and center: Riss with yellow suit sharp, yellow glasses, short brown hair, white cane gripped, tactile with a person in black next to me grinning back. another person in black smiling support on sides.
Photo Credit: Free First Saturday: Sensory Imagination, April 4, 2026. Photo by Kameron Herndon, courtesy Walker Art Center Minneapolis.
Call to action
If your organization is looking for DeafBlind-led support around accessibility, training, workshops, or program development, visit the Services page or Contact page to start a conversation.
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