Accessibility ROI metrics

Demonstrating the business value of accessibility helps secure resources and organizational commitment. The global disability market represents over 1 billion people with $8 trillion in disposable income.^[1] Companies that prioritize accessibility reach broader audiences while competitors exclude potential customers. Beyond market reach, accessible products often rank higher in search results because accessibility improvements align with SEO best practices like semantic HTML and descriptive content.

Accessibility reduces legal risk and associated costs. Lawsuits over inaccessible websites have increased dramatically, with settlement costs ranging from tens of thousands to millions of dollars. Retrofitting accessibility after launch costs significantly more than building it in from the start.

You can measure accessibility impact through multiple metrics: increased user base from disabled communities, reduced support tickets about usability issues, improved task completion rates, higher customer satisfaction scores, and decreased legal risk. You can also track how accessibility improvements benefit all users through metrics like reduced cognitive load and improved mobile usability. Calculate cost savings from avoiding retrofits and legal issues. With this data, present accessibility as an investment in product quality that expands market reach and reduces risk rather than just compliance overhead.