An Opportunity Within Reach – How Digital Accessibility Opens New Doors

One in six people in the world lives with a disability, which means 1.3 billion potential users. Addressing their needs is not only an ethical responsibility but also a significant opportunity for growth, customer loyalty, and competitive advantage.

In the digital world, accessibility means designing products and services in a way that enables people with disabilities to use them just as effectively as anyone else. This applies to people with various limitations—visual, auditory, motor, cognitive, neurological, or speech-related. For people with disabilities, accessibility is a necessity for functioning in the digital space, while for everyone else, it provides convenient and practical enhancements.

Interestingly, many people use accessibility features daily without even realizing it. Dark mode, for instance, or automatic subtitles that help deaf or hard-of-hearing users understand video content, are also incredibly useful in noisy environments like buses—or simply when we prefer not to turn on the sound. Another example is text prediction, which supports people with dyslexia or motor challenges but also speeds up typing on small smartphone keyboards. Voice assistants like Siri or Alexa allow device control via speech—a lifeline for those who can’t use a keyboard or mouse, but also a convenient tool for anyone looking to quickly search for information or control devices remotely.

This list of examples is long—and most importantly—implementing accessibility is neither complicated nor expensive. By following basic guidelines, you can not only improve product usability but also make them more universal and user-friendly to a broader audience. It’s a straightforward investment in creating technology for all.

 

 

Digital accessibility opens the door for companies to a vast group of customers, enhances usability, supports SEO, reduces legal risk, and strengthens a brand’s image as responsible and innovative. Implementing accessible solutions ensures a competitive edge while minimizing the costs of future product changes. It’s a smart, strategic investment. With measurable business benefits, digital accessibility is gaining traction across industries. In some countries, it’s already mandated by law, with high penalties for non-compliance. In the U.S., a prominent case involved Target being fined $6 million for not making its website accessible to blind users. Europe is heading in the same direction. In June this year, the “Act on Ensuring Accessibility Requirements for Certain Products and Services by Economic Operators” will come into force, in response to the European Accessibility Act. It mandates accessibility compliance for digital products in sectors such as banking, e-commerce, transport, and telecommunications. Even companies not directly subject to these regulations can treat the guidelines as a roadmap and a motivator for change. Why?

Because accessibility isn’t just a responsibility—it’s an opportunity: for loyal customers, cost savings, and better product quality. When treated as an integral part of the digital solution development process, it not only enhances usability but also enables companies to gain a competitive edge. Though the law doesn’t cover all businesses, it sets a clear direction for change, encouraging care for social groups at risk of exclusion from public and everyday life. For software providers, this sends a clear signal: adopting accessibility habits now can pay off many times over in the future.

 

 

People with disabilities often prove to be extremely loyal customers. Once they find a solution that meets their needs, they tend to stick with it and rarely experiment with alternatives. A study by Forrester showed that accessible websites are 1.5 times more likely to increase user retention compared to inaccessible ones. Digital accessibility boosts user retention because it makes websites more intuitive and user-friendly for a broader audience, including people with different impairments. This means users spend more time on the site, are less likely to leave, and are more likely to return. Additionally, accessibility supports SEO through better image descriptions, proper heading structures, faster load times, and responsiveness. These factors increase search engine visibility, attract more users, and build a strong brand reputation. Accessibility, therefore, is not just an ethical approach—it’s a strategic investment in usability and website reach. The numbers speak for themselves: 1.3 billion people worldwide live with a disability, making up 16% of the global population. One in six people! Moreover, it’s estimated that about 20% of digital product users will experience some form of disability in their lifetime. And if we include temporary impairments, such as injuries, this number increases significantly.

The market for products and services aimed at people with disabilities is growing rapidly, fueled by rising social awareness. Another key factor is the changing demographic structure—according to forecasts, Poland’s population will continue to age steadily until 2050. Data from the Central Statistical Office show that this process has been ongoing since 2005, and three years ago, the proportion of seniors in society reached 25.7%, or 9.73 million people.

As the overall population is expected to shrink to around 34 million by 2050, the number of elderly people will steadily increase. The number of people with various impairments is also growing, yet many companies still fail to recognize this potential. Meanwhile, the global value of the accessible products market is already $10.3 billion and continues to rise.

In the United States, the annual purchasing power of people with disabilities exceeds $1 trillion, and when you include their families and communities, that figure jumps to $7 trillion. In the UK, this market generates £274 billion. Companies that ignore the needs of people with disabilities lose up to £2 billion per month due to the inaccessibility of their products and services. The combined purchasing power of all people with disabilities in Poland is around 182.4 billion PLN annually. That’s an enormous, still untapped potential.

Digital accessibility is about more than just text and background contrast. It’s a full range of practices like intuitive navigation, alternative texts for images, captions for videos, or compatibility with assistive devices. Its main goal is to ensure equal access to technology for all users—regardless of limitations—while also improving the overall usability of products.

However, success in this area doesn’t depend solely on accessibility experts. A holistic approach is crucial—involving the entire development team from the beginning of a project. Too often, we see accessibility being addressed only at the final stages, generating unnecessary costs and delays that could have been avoided by integrating key elements during the design phase. Role analysis shows that 75% of accessibility responsibility lies with designers and content creators, 22% with developers, and only 3% with process managers. Testers, through their work, become the foundation of the group’s success.

Assigning accessibility tasks to domain experts allows everyone to focus on their specialization, resulting in a higher quality final product. Accessibility is not an add-on—it’s an integral part of a job well done and should be embedded in every process standard. Making it a permanent part of project completion criteria ensures that the resulting solutions are more universal and easier to use. Yes—accessibility is usability’s sister, and together they create products that truly meet users’ needs. It’s a mark of professionalism and a foundation that enhances product quality and market value.