Accessibility Market Trends 2025: What to Expect

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The digital world is changing faster than ever, and accessibility is moving with it. Once viewed mainly as a compliance requirement, accessibility is now being recognised as a foundation of inclusive design and user experience. In 2025, it is no longer just about meeting minimum standards; it is about enabling everyone to take part in a digital-first society.

As awareness grows, the accessibility market is expanding, shaped by new technologies, evolving consumer expectations, and stronger global regulations. Businesses that understand this shift will be positioned not only to meet requirements but also to lead with empathy and inclusion through audits and inclusive user testing.

In this blog, we’ll explore the key accessibility trends shaping 2025, highlight real-world examples of progress, and show how organisations can prepare for what’s next.

1. AI and Automation in Accessibility Testing

Artificial intelligence is reshaping how accessibility issues are identified and resolved. Early tools that flagged colour contrast issues or missing alt text have evolved into intelligent systems capable of generating image descriptions, analysing navigational flow, and suggesting context-based remediations.

Large enterprises such as Walmart have demonstrated the power of scaling automated testing across their digital platforms, running tens of thousands of tests each day to monitor performance and catch issues earlier in development.

While these programmes cover wider quality assurance, the same principles are now being applied to accessibility. AI-driven auditing tools are enabling organisations to manage accessibility at scale, reduce remediation effort, and deliver more consistent user experiences across thousands of pages and applications.

Learn more about how AI and accessible technology can support your accessibility strategy.

2. Voice Interfaces and Multimodal Experiences

Voice assistants, smart speakers, and speech-to-text systems are now everyday tools. For people with motor impairments or visual disabilities, these technologies provide essential pathways to interaction. In 2025, multimodal interfaces will expand this accessibility. Combining voice, gesture, touch, and even eye tracking, they enable users to switch between modalities depending on context or ability.

Accessibility update reports from technology providers highlight growing investment in multimodal design. For businesses, this means ensuring interfaces are compatible with alternative input methods and capable of providing clear, adaptive feedback. Healthcare apps that allow patients to use either voice or touch navigation are already showing how multimodality enhances inclusivity.

For instance, Mayo Clinic’s app integrates voice search alongside traditional touch input, making it easier for patients with mobility challenges to access appointment scheduling and health information. Similarly, Babylon Health has experimented with voice-enabled symptom checkers, offering flexibility for users who may struggle with small touchscreen controls.

Discover more about the value of inclusive user research in building accessible multimodal experiences.

3. Accessibility in Immersive Technologies (AR/VR/XR)

Immersive technologies are entering mainstream use, but accessibility has lagged behind. Virtual reality environments have been particularly difficult to navigate for blind or low-vision users. Encouragingly, advances in haptic feedback, spatial audio, and adaptive design tools are changing the picture.

Stanford University’s Virtual Human Interaction Lab has been piloting VR simulations that integrate spatial audio and haptic feedback to make immersive environments more inclusive for blind and low-vision participants. These kinds of initiatives show how accessible XR can create meaningful opportunities for learning and research.

The accessibility market is expected to see growth in this area as standards and testing frameworks for XR continue to mature.

4. Accessibility as a Competitive Differentiator

The link between inclusivity and brand perception is clearer than ever. Accessibility is no longer only a compliance matter, it is becoming a powerful competitive differentiator. Organisations that demonstrate inclusive design signal innovation, responsibility, and empathy, values increasingly important to both customers and employees.

Procurement policies are also evolving. Many public sector contracts now require proof of accessibility compliance. Companies that can demonstrate robust digital accessibility solutions will find themselves better positioned to win business. Investors and job candidates are similarly evaluating organisations on their commitment to inclusivity, making accessibility a driver of long-term trust.

Strengthen your business advantage by embedding effective governance and management frameworks that demonstrate your commitment to accessibility and inclusive design.

5. User Testing with Disabled People

One of the strongest accessibility trends is the shift toward involving disabled users directly in testing and design. Automated audits and checklists cannot capture the complexity of lived experience. Engaging people who use screen readers, voice input, magnification software, or switch devices helps uncover issues that automated tools often miss.

Across industries, co-design sessions and inclusive research are becoming more common. These approaches ensure that accessibility features work as intended in real-world contexts and often lead to clearer navigation, better content structure, and tools that adapt more effectively to individual needs.

For more information, check out our how-to guide for running inclusive user testing.

6. Integration into Design and Development Workflows

Retrofitting accessibility at the end of a project is costly and inefficient. Progressive organisations are embedding accessibility into every stage of the design and development process. In 2025, expect accessibility to be a natural part of design systems, component libraries, sprint planning, and QA reviews.

Digital accessibility solutions are increasingly integrated into common tools like Figma, GitHub, and Jira. Teams can now flag issues during design, automatically check components against WCAG standards, and build remediation steps directly into agile workflows. This shift is helping accessibility become synonymous with quality, rather than a separate requirement.

7. Expanding Focus: Cognitive and Neurodivergent Accessibility

The scope of accessibility is broadening to include cognitive and neurodivergent needs. Simplified navigation, consistent layouts, and options for flexible content presentation help users with attention, memory, or processing challenges.

Media organisations are adopting clear-language guidelines and providing audio or video summaries alongside long-form content. Educational platforms are offering customisable reading modes and distraction-free interfaces. These approaches demonstrate how digital accessibility trends 2025 are moving toward more nuanced, personalised design.

Staying Informed with Accessibility News and Industry Insights

The accessibility market is changing fast, and keeping up with accessibility news is critical for digital leaders. Reports from global standards bodies, updates from assistive technology providers, and community insights all play a role in shaping best practices. Subscribing to regular accessibility update briefings can help organisations remain agile in response to regulatory changes and user expectations.

Final Thoughts

The accessibility market in 2025 is defined by innovation, collaboration, and inclusion. Advances in AI, immersive technology, and multimodal design are converging with stronger regulations and shifting cultural expectations. Businesses that embrace accessibility not only reduce legal risks but also unlock new markets, strengthen brand reputation, and deliver experiences that resonate with all users.

Every organisation has a choice: treat accessibility as a checkbox or embrace it as a pathway to leadership in a digital-first world. The latter creates meaningful connections, drives loyalty, and builds resilience.

Your organisation can stay ahead of accessibility trends and deliver digital accessibility solutions that set you apart. Start today by exploring the Accessibility Scanner Tool, or learn more about how Arc Inclusion can help embed accessibility into every stage of your digital journey. Together, we can create a digital world that is truly built for everyone.

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FAQs

Accessibility trends are transforming design and development by making inclusivity a baseline expectation rather than an afterthought. Practices such as integrating accessibility into design systems, using AI for automated testing, and involving disabled users in co-design are becoming standard. These shifts help teams build products that are usable for everyone from the start, reducing costly retrofits and aligning digital experiences with the diverse needs of modern audiences.

Staying informed with accessibility news and regular accessibility updates helps organisations remain compliant with evolving regulations and ahead of customer expectations. Industry reports, standards guidance, and community insights highlight emerging technologies, common pitfalls, and best practices. By keeping pace with these developments, digital leaders can adapt quickly, strengthen their accessibility strategies, and demonstrate long-term commitment to inclusion.

The accessibility market creates opportunities for businesses that go far beyond meeting legal requirements. Inclusive products attract wider audiences, improve brand perception, and foster customer loyalty. Investors and procurement teams increasingly prioritise companies that deliver accessible digital solutions, making accessibility a competitive differentiator. Embedding accessibility into strategy is not just about avoiding risk, it is about unlocking growth and demonstrating leadership in a digital-first economy.

 

Learn more about the full business case in our guide to the benefits of digital accessibility.

See more FAQs

Website accessibility monitoring is the fundamental process of scanning your website to detect any issues that could prevent users with disabilities from using it. Automated web accessibility monitoring tools continuously check for accessibility issues across your site, providing instant alerts for new and updated content, as well as your overall site health.

 

They track compliance with standards like the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) and show you how accessible your site is, where it should be, and what improvements should be made to deliver a better experience for all users.

 

In addition to measuring your compliance, they also provide a clear picture of your progress over time, so you can track the impact of your improvements and maintain ongoing accessibility.

The two main types are automated and manual monitoring. Together, they provide you with a comprehensive view of how accessible your site is and where improvements are needed.

 

  • Automated monitoring uses specialised web accessibility monitoring tools to scan your website for non-compliant features and common issues, such as missing alt text, poor colour contrast, or keyword navigability issues. These tools can also provide instant alerts for when site elements present accessibility risks and site health reports so you can prioritise any issues.

  • Manual monitoring is where accessibility experts and testers come in to review your site as a real user would, often using assistive technologies like screen readers. They will usually check how easy it is to navigate through pages, interact with content, and understand messages or instructions. The aim is to identify any areas which may present barriers for individuals with disabilities.

Accessibility monitoring is crucial for ensuring that everyone can use and experience your site in the same way, regardless of ability. It is also essential for staying compliant with standards like WCAG and with laws like The European Accessibility Act 2025.

 

Without regular monitoring, accessibility issues can easily appear when new pages are added, content is updated, or designs are changed.

 

Continuous website accessibility monitoring gives you a framework to:

  • Stay compliant

  • Improve user experience

  • Respond to issues quickly

  • Track progress over time

Accessibility monitoring should be integrated into your process rather than a one-time check. Websites can change frequently, with new pages, designs, and content changes, but each update can introduce accessibility issues.

 

Continuous monitoring, both manual and through an automated website monitor, is recommended to catch any issues as soon as they appear, particularly after any big changes, such as adding interactive elements, redesigns, and when legal or accessibility guidelines are updated.

 

Even without significant changes, monitoring should be a consistent part of your organisations website maintenance.

 

The more you test the better, but for those looking for an exact amount, ideally once a month is a good starting point to catch any emerging issues.

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