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The business case for digital accessibility

Does accessibility really matter?

In organisations, a business case serves as a crucial instrument for planning and executing various initiatives. Regardless of whether an organisation is commercial, educational, non-profit, or governmental, a justification is often required to allocate resources, such as money or effort, to support a particular organisational policy or goal.

In this article, the term “business” encompasses all types of organisations, recognising that different factors may be significant depending on the organisational focus and purpose. For example, legal and equity aspects may strongly motivate government agencies, while innovation and market expansion opportunities may appeal more to commercial businesses. Educational and nonprofit organisations may be particularly interested in brand enhancement.

What your business gets

Making your digital products and services work for everyone is not only a good thing from a social standpoint, but it is also smart from an economic standpoint.

  • Positive branding and CSR

    Offering an accessible product or service means that everyone can use it. Digital accessibility thus counteracts social inequality and promotes the integration of diverse groups. This not only has a positive effect on the satisfaction of customers and own employees, but also on the image to society. In addition, digital accessibility is a logical part of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).

  • Serving a wider audience

    By creating accessible content, you can expand your potential target audience and explore new revenue streams.

    This is particularly important considering the global population of people with disabilities, which exceeds 1 billion, accounting for 15% of the world’s population, and they have a significant spending power of over $7 trillion.

  • Better overall User Experience

    Research has shown that user interface and user experience (UI/UX) optimizations made for accessibility can also enhance the experience for people who do not have disabilities.

  • Better findability and SEO

    An accessible website not only benefits users but also search engines like Google. Accessible websites are easier to index, and Google recognizes them, giving them priority in search results.

    Furthermore, Google has recently announced that it will penalize websites that do not meet accessibility standards by de-ranking them, potentially affecting their search engine optimization (SEO) investment.

  • Minimised legal risk

    Many countries have enacted laws mandating digital accessibility, and organisations that prioritize accessibility are better equipped to handle claims and avoid expensive violations.

  • Lower burden on the helpdesk

    Last but not least, an accessible website allows people to conduct their business independently online without having to rely on customer service or helpdesk support via email or telephone. This promotes a sense of autonomy and self-sufficiency for users, which is especially important for individuals with disabilities who may face barriers in accessing traditional customer service channels.