Why Ignoring Web Accessibility Is a Business Disaster
Imagine you go to the store to get some groceries. You see a sign at the door that says "No service to people in wheelchairs". Imagine the outrage. You’d feel excluded, unwelcome — as if the world was built without considering you. This is exactly what most websites are doing today to millions of people with disabilities.
Essentially, this is exactly what about 96 % of websites are doing right now. A recent survey by WebAIM has shown that only about 4 % out of one million tested home pages did pass a WCAG 2 audit. The following 3 pillars will illustrate why this is a disaster and why being accessible will actually be beneficial to your business.
The first – and arguably most important – aspect of accessibility is the social one. Accessibility is not just another "tick-it-off-requirement", but a way of thinking. Being accessible means making it a crucial aspect in every decision, be it business, design, or technology.
Let's imagine the following: You're about to build a shiny new office building. Two architects are competing for the job, and you're reviewing their proposals. The first one has a large set of stairs leading up to the main entrance. On the side, the architect put a small ramp to accommodate wheelchair users. The second draft is exactly as luxurious and well-designed as the first one, with just one key difference: The entrance is level. No ramps or other measures are needed to make it "accessible".
This highlights the two approaches to this topic. The first one is a "fix" approach, where accessibility is seen as the necessary evil (or maybe even just the legal requirement). The second approach is the inclusive one, where you don't separate into groups, but rather find a common solution that fits all.
Now imagine that both buildings are built side-by-side. Where do you think a person in a wheelchair (or someone with a walking aid, a mother with a stroller, or even someone who just came from the gym doing squats) would feel more welcome?
In today's socially conscious business landscape, a commitment to inclusive design will enhance your company's reputation and trust noticeably. More and more consumers are attracted to businesses that show a true commitment to social responsibility. Embracing accessibility as a core business priority can be the key to a culture of inclusion that extends far beyond your digital presence.
Apart from being a social imperative, opening your products and services to everyone maximizes your potential customer base – a simple way to generate more revenue. While it may be difficult to retrofit large platforms, the benefits extend way beyond just reaching a wider audience.
Accessible design principles, such as well-planned content structure or color schemes with proper contrast settings, will enhance the overall user experience, which in turn can lead to higher rates of engagement, better conversion rates, and – most importantly – more satisfied customers. When we implement accessibility features, we're not just helping users with disabilities – we're creating a better experience for all users:
These examples demonstrate how accessibility features create a more robust, flexible user experience that adapts to different contexts and preferences – ultimately serving your entire user base better.
Web accessibility benefits not only your users but also search engines. Search engine crawlers – like users with assistive technology – rely on well-structured content and metadata to understand your site. By implementing accessible design practices, you're effectively:
These factors help search engines better understand your content, potentially leading to better rankings and increased relevance in search results.
While there are several social and financial benefits to accessibility, there are also a legal requirements to it. Following the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), the European Union came up with a directive to regulate the market in terms of accessibility: the European Accessibility Act (EAA). It requires all Member States to put legislation in place in order to unify accessibility concerns across digital products and services.
In short, it requires that all businesses that operate within the EU need to meet the WCAG 2.2 level AA criteria. Failure to do so will result in hefty fines ranging up to € 500k (the actual fines are to be determined by the respective member states). This makes it very clear that not complying is simply not an option as the consequences can be very costly.
Starting 28 June 2025, new products and services must comply with the requirements. 5 years later, all products and services must comply, regardless of when they were released.
[!NOTE] Businesses with fewer than 10 employees and less than € 2 million in global turnover are exempt from the directive.
The hardest part about inclusivity is implementing it. In a fast-paced, high-stress environment, accessibility is usually one of the first things that falls behind. Stakeholders often care more about shipping a viable product as fast as possible, accessibility audits and improvements (if any) are put off as an extra "optimization" step.
By fostering an inclusive design strategy, accessibility already starts with the concept and spans throughout the full development lifecycle. Actively forcing every person involved in making the product to think about these aspects will result in inclusivity being the standard.
After all, no business in their right mind would put a banner on their website that says "No service to people with disabilities".
