Digital accessibility: the future of product design
Sponsored by Level Access
Image provided by Level Access
The distinction between online and offline brand experiences is increasingly blurred. While traveling, we use an airline’s mobile app to check our flight status, track our baggage, and even access in-flight entertainment. Before we go to a restaurant, we visit its website to make a reservation. Even the can of Coke we purchase from the office vending machine has a QR code, inviting us to enter online sweepstakes.
Digital touchpoints are no longer secondary to consumers’ physical interactions with brands – they’re seamlessly integrated into the buying journey. And the quality of a brand’s digital presence plays a critical role in determining whether potential customers convert or turn to competitors.
There’s one failsafe way to ensure that would-be buyers choose to shop elsewhere: providing a digital experience that’s broken. But while most teams today understand the importance of usability in principle, many neglect to consider whether experiences are usable for consumers with disabilities. In fact, research by WebAIM found that 96 percent of the top one million home pages contain easily detectable accessibility issues.
The disability community controls $490 billion in disposable annual income in the US alone, representing a massive market opportunity. Today, businesses that seize this opportunity by delivering accessible digital products are at a significant advantage. But as both market and legal pressures surrounding digital accessibility intensify, accounting for the needs of consumers with disabilities will no longer be a differentiator. It will be a business requirement.
Accessibility is a requirement for usability
Few product leaders would knowingly release a new feature with bugs that rendered it unusable. Yet when organizations bring inaccessible digital products to market, they do precisely that. For instance, if a mobile app is incompatible with screen readers – assistive technology that converts text to speech – many individuals who are blind or have low vision will find it difficult, if not impossible, to use. Similarly, if a website’s functionality is only available to those who use a mouse, customers who navigate using the keyboard may be entirely unable to engage with it.
Accessibility is not a separate consideration from usability. It’s integral to providing products that work for every user.
Accessible products unlock market share
As consumers have gravitated toward digital-first engagement with brands, user experience has emerged as a key competitive differentiator. Businesses are reaping the rewards of their investments in sleek web design and intuitive software. And companies that prioritize the experience of all users – including those with disabilities – are enjoying even greater benefits.
According to Level Access’s Sixth Annual State of Digital Accessibility Report, 89 percent of professionals consider a commitment to digital accessibility to be a competitive advantage for their organization, with 81 percent saying it contributed to improved customer acquisition, 80 percent saying it contributed to improved customer retention, and 75 percent saying it contributed to improved revenue.
For consumer brands, accessible experiences allow businesses to tap into a massive, often underserved market segment: the 1.3 billion people globally who live with disabilities. But accessibility is also playing a growing role in B2B companies’ success, with more buyers requesting proof of product accessibility as part of procurement processes. In fact, that same research found 74 percent of professionals say their organizations require proof of accessibility most or all the time when purchasing digital products – an increase from 58 percent the previous year.
For leaders at both B2C and B2B organisations, the choice is clear: prioritize digital accessibility or leave money on the table.
Global accessibility regulations are tightening
Designing accessible digital products isn’t just a path to increased revenue. It’s a legal requirement for conducting business on a global scale. Beginning in June 2025, most businesses with any consumers in the European Union must comply with the European Accessibility Act (EAA). The law mandates that a wide range of consumer products and services, including e-commerce and online banking experiences, meet established accessibility standards.
Penalties for violations can be substantial, including steep fines and sanctions, or even removal of a product from the market, making compliance prudent for any business aiming to maintain – or build – its global presence.
Other nations have also enacted digital accessibility laws that impact businesses. In Canada, for example, both public and private organizations in Ontario must ensure online experiences meet accessibility requirements under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA). And in the US, businesses continue to navigate a rising tide of litigation citing the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), with plaintiffs asserting that online accessibility barriers violate their equal rights under the law. These lawsuits can be costly and tarnish a brand’s reputation.
Digital accessibility regulations are only set to grow stricter, as civil rights laws catch up with the rapid integration of digital technology into day-to-day life. Organizations that have not already encountered accessibility-related legal or regulatory action simply can’t afford to wait to ensure compliance.
Open your business to every customer
As the digital world becomes inextricably interwoven with the physical, brands must be more intentional than ever about their online interactions with customers. Digital accessibility is the future of product design. And by embracing accessibility as an integral part of effective product design, businesses accomplish more than meeting compliance obligations. They provide all consumers – not just some – with the opportunity to build an enduring brand relationship. And when they approach digital accessibility as an ongoing, organization-wide effort, they can ensure their commitment has a lasting impact.
By Karen Hawkins, Principal of Accessible Design, Level Access
Karen Hawkins is the Principal of Accessible Design at Level Access. She holds an honours Industrial Engineering degree with a specialization in Human Factors, and she is a certified accessibility professional. Karen worked for more than a decade as a user experience designer and director, leading and mentoring multidisciplinary teams in creating world-class user experiences and determining complex omnichannel digital solutions for leading global companies. She is a passionate advocate for digital accessibility, and she spends her time training both colleagues and clients to apply, and share, accessible design thinking.
To better understand the current market landscape for digital accessibility, request the Sixth Annual State of Digital Accessibility Report
by Karen Hawkins, Principal of Accessible Design, Level Access
Business Reporter Team
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