Making the Business Case for Digital Accessibility: Key Talking Points for Accessibility Champions

If you’ve found this blog, chances are, you’re already passionate about digital accessibility—and you want others throughout your organization to make inclusion a priority.

To inspire organization-wide action, you’ll first need support from senior leaders, who can help you obtain the budget and resources to build an effective program. But simply explaining that digital accessibility is the right thing to do may not be enough to secure executive buy-in. You’ll have to make a solid business case that connects accessibility to your organization’s goals.

So, how can you help key stakeholders understand the advantages of digital accessibility? Often, accessibility champions in your position turn to a handful of talking points, including complying with laws, reaching a broader market, and enhancing brand reputation. But committing to accessibility also has numerous other, less widely discussed advantages that can strengthen your case.

In this piece, we’ll explore the many ways that digital accessibility contributes to organizations’ success, covering both classic arguments made by advocates and less frequently mentioned benefits.

Tried-and-true talking points

Many of the same arguments have been used time and time again to make the business case for digital accessibility. While professionals with knowledge of this space may already be familiar with these talking points, there’s a reason accessibility champions continue to turn to them: they’re powerful, particularly for audiences with limited previous exposure to digital accessibility.

Investing in digital accessibility mitigates legal risk

Countries worldwide have enacted laws and regulations requiring the accessibility of digital content. In the U.S., for example, the Department of Justice (DOJ) has clarified that Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which protects the equal rights of people with disabilities to access public accommodations, applies to the websites of private businesses. Non-compliance can result in costly lawsuits and reputational damage. Additionally, the European Accessibility Act (EAA) mandates that a wide range of products and services—including e-commerce and banking—are accessible. The EAA applies to most organizations that do business in, or have customers in, the European Union (EU), and potential penalties include fines as well as the removal of certain products or services from the market.

Accessible products and services expand market share

According to the World Health Organization, more than one billion people worldwide have some form of disability. And the disability community has substantial purchasing power: working-aged adults in the U.S. alone control an estimated $490B in disposable income annually. For business-to-consumer (B2C) companies, digital accessibility unlocks a massive market, winning new customers and driving revenue growth. And for business-to-business (B2B) organizations, digital product accessibility increases procurement opportunities: 73% of senior leaders surveyed for our latest State of Digital Accessibility Report say that accessibility is a requirement for digital product procurement most or all of the time.

Digital accessibility strengthens brand reputation

Consumers are more likely to support and engage with brands prioritizing inclusivity. Nearly 70% of consumers say diversity, equity, and inclusion play a substantial role in deciding which brands they support. Perhaps even more striking, 45% will pay more for products from brands that actively promote these values. Committing to digital accessibility is a powerful way to demonstrate that your organization isn’t merely paying lip service to inclusion, but that it’s taking active steps to meet every person’s diverse needs.

Accessibility improves user experience for everyone

Accessible design enhances the experience of all users—not just those with disabilities. Considerations like straightforward navigation, readable fonts, and consistent formatting benefit everyone. In fact, nearly 90% of professionals we surveyed report that digital accessibility has contributed to improvements in user experience. And by providing more streamlined, intuitive user journeys, website owners can extend site visits, increase engagement, and improve overall customer satisfaction.

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Less common arguments

If you’re advocating to stakeholders who are familiar with digital accessibility, the classic arguments we’ve outlined may fail to capture your audience’s attention. They’re probably already aware of these benefits—and may not find them sufficient to justify prioritizing accessibility over competing demands. To help you inject fresh perspective into your pitch, the following section explores key advantages of digital accessibility that leaders at your organization are less likely to have considered.

Proactively committing to accessibility lets you stay in control of your development roadmap

If you’re sued because of digital accessibility issues, you’ll likely have to address these issues within a fixed time frame as part of the settlement terms. This reactive remediation can be time-consuming, costly, and disruptive to your development roadmap, setting your organization back. By proactively investing in accessibility, you can approach this work on your own timeline, avoiding unplanned expenses and delays.

Ensuring web accessibility is a search engine optimization (SEO) best practice

Accessible websites are more likely to have strong SEO performance. Features like alternative (alt) text for images, proper heading structures, and descriptive text links make content more understandable for search engines, improving rankings and organic traffic. Additionally, search engines tend to favor sites that provide a satisfying user experience—and, as previously mentioned, accessible websites are easier to use for everyone.

Accessibility drives innovation

One of the biggest myths surrounding accessibility is that it limits creativity and innovation. To the contrary, throughout history, the pursuit of accessible solutions has led to new technologies and design practices that benefit all users. Consider curb cuts, which were invented to provide access for users of mobility devices, like wheelchairs and scooters. A wide variety of people, including stroller-pushing parents, travellers wheeling luggage, runners, skateboarders, and bike riders, now use curb cuts daily. Additionally, text-to-speech synthesis, originally developed for users who are blind, led to the creation of optical character recognition technology—now used by anyone scanning a receipt or making a mobile check deposit. An investment in accessibility is an investment in innovation.

Inclusive workplaces have more productive employees

While organizations often think about digital accessibility in terms of their public-facing assets, like websites and mobile apps, ensuring that internal systems and resources—like intranets and internal documents—are accessible is integral to fostering an inclusive and productive workplace. When employees don’t lose time navigating accessibility barriers, they can perform to their full potential, and will likely report greater job satisfaction. Additionally, prioritizing workplace accessibility can help attract top talent who value diversity and inclusion.

Five steps to building a compelling case

Once you’ve gathered your talking points, it’s time to make the case for prioritizing digital accessibility to decision makers at your organization. Consider the following best practices to ensure your message resonates with your audience.

1. Research and gather data: Demonstrate that you’ve done your research. Back up your argument with relevant data, such as statistics on the number of people with disabilities in your target market, or the volume of digital accessibility lawsuits impacting organizations like yours.
2. Align with business goals: Discuss how accessibility aligns with your company’s specific mission, values, and strategic goals.
3. Present a clear plan: Outline a step-by-step plan, including a timeline, budget estimates, and critical milestones. Address potential challenges and propose solutions.
4. Highlight success stories: Share case studies of similar organizations that have successfully implemented digital accessibility, referencing data on the specific benefits they’ve received as a result.
5. Emphasize return on investment (ROI): Focus on the long-term financial benefits of accessibility—such as potential revenue growth and reduced legal fees—rather than short-term costs.

Beyond executive buy-in

Building an effective, sustainable accessibility program takes dedication and resources. But by helping decision makers understand the benefits of digital inclusion, you can win the support you need to turn your passion into an organization-wide priority. For more guidance on starting, and scaling, a digital accessibility practice at your organization, request our Accessibility Champion’s Playbook.

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