#07. The ROI of Accessibility.
#07. The ROI of Accessibility.
How to convince your leadership that accessibility is worth it, and how to calculate the ROI.
If you are still considering whether investing in accessibility is worth it, stop thinking.
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It is 3,000%, trust us.
Every dollar invested in Accessibility brings back $100, says Forrester’s 2022 report.
With 27% of all adults in the US alone living with disability and a rapidly ageing global population, accessible technology aids more than a tiny fraction of users. In 2016, a study demonstrated that 71% of people with access need will leave a non-accessible website. Every customer unable to complete a task results in lost revenue.
Those customers who click away have an estimated spending power of £11.75 billion in the UK alone, around 10% of the total UK online spend in 2016.
Accessible products are more competitive, serving and retaining a wider range of customers, but the benefits span far beyond.
The cost of unawareness.
Teams that commit to delivering accessible products demonstrate better understanding of processes and strategy, leading to smoother communication and improved workflow.
Empathy goes a long way. Diversifying your user base and taking interest in understanding the needs of customers with disabilities leads to building more inclusive, accommodating workspace culture.
On the flip side, companies neglecting accessibility pay the price that increases exponentially as their teams and products grow.
One lawsuit, coming right up.
The European Accessibility Act (EAA) will come in full force in 2025, unifying all accessibility requirements across the EU. Businesses operating in Europe will have to ensure their products and services are accessible, for instance,
ATMs will all have to be accessible to people with visual impairments by offering audio-assisted electronic transactions.
The Americans with Disabilities Act prohibits discrimination, and the infamous story of Domino’s unsuccessfully dodging a lawsuit from a blind customer demonstrates how a company can suffer from neglecting accessibility.
A number of accessibility lawsuits grows every year, and although an initial maximum fine of $75,000 may not sound scary, the real punishment is compounded:
Essentially, the cost was the fine, the consultant fee, the hours for the developers to integrate those recommendations [instead of] other important tasks.
It is now a matter of time before similar legislations are passed in other regions as well. Investing in accessibility today will help protect your business later.