top of page

Digital Accessibility isn’t optional - why exclusion hurts and accessible UX wins?

Updated: Oct 14

Our Insights post expands on how small UX tweaks improve outcomes for all users. Want to learn more? Continue reading related posts on our blog:


Is your website truly open for business?


Pause for a second: When you visit a website and something doesn’t load, or you can’t click a button, how long do you stick around? Now, what if it wasn’t just a glitch but a design decision - a choice that blocks out millions? In a global marketplace (especially in education and e-commerce) digital accessibility is no longer a fringe concern. It’s a foundational pillar for reaching everyone and, not incidentally, for business success.

So, who gets left behind when digital accessibility is poor? And why does better accessibility deliver such outsized business results?


The Accessibility imperative


Accessibility used to be an afterthought, something added at the end of a web project or, worse, only when mandated by law. But over the past decade, as more of our educational, commercial, and social lives have shifted online, digital accessibility has been thrust center stage.

According to the World Health Organization, over 1 billion people worldwide live with some form of disability. These include visual, auditory, cognitive, and motor impairments - like low vision, color blindness, hearing loss, dyslexia, limited mobility, or even situational restrictions (think: a parent with a child in one arm, trying to fill out a school registration on a phone).

But accessibility isn’t just for a tiny subset, it intersects with all of us, at some point in our lives.

A striking story from Forbes Tech Council illustrates this: A leading e-commerce company faced a huge class-action lawsuit when visually impaired users couldn't shop independently. The settlement cost millions, not just in dollars, but in lost customer trust. But the bigger story is the opportunity lost: every non-inclusive experience quietly turns away people who might have been loyal advocates.


At 1000.software, we’ve seen first-hand how even minor accessibility improvements - higher contrast, alt text, keyboard navigation - can dramatically expand a product’s reach. One EdTech startup we worked with saw a 28% uptick in enrollments after prioritizing accessibility in their user onboarding.


Who is impacted by inaccessible digital experiences?


The short answer? Everyone, at some intersection, but let’s break down the broader groups:


  • People with Disabilities: The most obvious group, but also the most diverse. Disabilities can be permanent (e.g., blindness, deafness), temporary (an injury), or situational (trying to watch a video in a noisy café).


  • Seniors: As the world ages, cognitive and mobility challenges increase. Poorly designed interfaces can lock out senior users or force them to abandon purchases, degrade learning experiences, or rely on others.


  • Mobile-Only Users: According to the W3C, mobile accessibility shares much with disability access. Sites or apps that require pinpoint clicks, large screens, or mouse-specific actions become unusable - even for perfectly able people with just a phone.


  • Emerging Language Learners and Low Literacy Users: Complex layouts, jargon, or ambiguous navigation create confusion for all, especially for non-native speakers or those with learning differences.

  • Everyone, Sometimes: Accessibility features like captions help non-native speakers, people in noisy environments, or anyone multitasking. Alt text helps SEO and voice search. Good color contrast is a blessing on a sunny day with a phone.


Accessible design always broadens (not shrinks) your potential audience. The digital divide is not just about having internet access, but being able to effectively use what’s out there.


Why is Accessibility a (smart) business decision?


Too often, accessibility is framed as a compliance obligation or a liability risk. In reality, businesses especially in e-commerce and education - stand to gain the most. Here’s why:


1. The untapped market is huge


The Forbes Tech Council article puts it bluntly: disabled customers represent a $490 billion annual spending power in the US alone, and over $8 trillion globally when you include friends and family who consider accessibility in purchasing decisions. If your platform, site, or app isn’t accessible, you may be effectively closing the door to a vast and growing market segment.

Education is even more impacted: federally funded institutions (including most higher education) must comply with Section 508 (in the USA) or EAA (in the EU) or risk lawsuits - and, more importantly, reputation loss in a student-driven review society. The recent trend: students and parents use accessibility rankings to compare universities and digital learning platforms.


2. Accessibility is Usability for all


Many accessibility best practices dovetail with great UX. For example:


  • Clear labels and navigation benefit people with cognitive disabilities, and speed up task completion for everyone;

  • Keyboard shortcuts and skip links help screen reader users and power users;

  • Captioned videos serve the deaf community and the millions learning languages or simply scrolling mute;

  • Good contrast helps low-vision users but also folks with new high-DPI phones in strong sunlight.


3. Inclusive design boosts your brand and reduces churn


People talk. Experiences, good or bad, travel quickly. Failing to provide accessible services isn’t just a reputation risk - it’s free advertising for a competitor who does better.

And it’s not just about new customers. In EdTech and e-commerce, re-engagement and retention drive lifetime value. Accessible systems reduce frustration, support word-of-mouth, and win the loyalty of underserved communities.


4. Legal and financial risks are real (but avoidable)


Lawsuits for digital inaccessibility are rising globally. In the U.S., web accessibility lawsuits under ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) have grown fivefold since 2016. Higher education has likewise seen high-profile legal settlements related to inaccessible courseware.

Contrast that to the cost of accessibility fixes, a fraction of the price of legal actions, and usually an investment that pays off many times over.


5. Accessible e-Commerce earns more


Accessible shopping experiences translate into real sales. Remember the landmark lawsuit against Domino's Pizza for web inaccessibility (2019)? Beyond the legal loss was the message: digital shops that work for screen readers, captioned product videos, easy keyboard navigation, and accessible payment flows serve everyone. Any failed experience equals lost revenue.


Our own case studies at 1000.software's blog ( see "AI tools for education and their usage" and Why Most EdTech Startups Don’t Scale—And What Needs to Change) discuss how accessible features correlate with improved engagement and conversion rates.


What should tech teams, educators, and founders do?


1. Make Accessibility a first-class requirement, not an afterthought


Stop thinking of accessibility as a checklist or a plugin tacked on just before launch. Build it in from user story creation to deployment. Involve users with disabilities in your testing loops.


2. Use available standards and go beyond them


Follow WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines), but also test with real users. Remember: compliance is a minimum, not a gold standard.


3. Educate stakeholders on the value

Not everyone instantly “gets” why accessibility matters. Present both the ethical imperative and the business case. Don’t neglect the small wins: even improving alt text or color contrast can unlock new user segments.


4. Continually audit and upgrade

Accessibility isn’t a one-off project; it’s an ongoing commitment and process. Technology, standards, and user expectations continue to evolve.


5. Don’t go it alone, learn from the community

Dive into resources at W3C’s Web Accessibility Initiative and learn from stories (both failures and successes) shared by others in your space. Read more on our blog—see our posts tagged EdTech and Articles for practical guidance.


The Web You Want Is the Web You Build


“Accessibility” isn’t a favor - it’s business-savvy, ethically sound, and most importantly, achievable. Every feature that was once considered “nice-to-have” is increasingly “need-to-have” for someone. With millions of potential users, students, and shoppers looking for good experiences, inclusive design is just smart.

So, next time you redesign a website, launch a course, or pitch a product: ask if it’s truly open and good for everyone.

Who are you including, and who might you unintentionally lock out?

bottom of page