Why accessibility in the EU is a strategic investment

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While the EAA may seem like a compliance challenge, accessibility is better understood as a strategic investment, one that delivers long-term value across customer experience, innovation, and brand trust.

Accessibility is a powerful lever for market growth, brand differentiation, and long-term business success.

In this post, we’ll explore how prioritising accessibility unlocks opportunities that go far beyond legal risk management, and why inclusive design is fast becoming a strategic necessity.

Why is accessibility important for businesses?

The enforcement of the European Accessibility Act (EAA) means that accessibility is no longer optional for businesses that trade within the European Union. However, the importance of compliance goes far beyond regulation. Accessibility in business is now a fundamental part of how organisations compete and connect with their customers.

Businesses that invest in accessibility position themselves for growth and resilience. They reach wider markets, strengthen brand trust, and drive innovation that benefits everyone.

Integrating accessibility across your organisation isn’t just good practice; it’s good business.

Here are seven of the most important accessibility benefits that highlight why it’s a strategic investment in business success:

1. Reach more people, in more situations

Let’s start with a number. The World Health Organisation states that approximately 1.3 billion people (about 16% of the global population) experience some form of disability.

That is a market segment with huge spending power and influence.

And it doesn’t stop there.

    • Think about older adults navigating digital services with reduced vision or dexterity.

    • Or people recovering from injury.

    • Or parents holding a baby in one arm and using voice commands with the other.

Designing with accessibility in mind means your products and services work better for everyone, not just those with specific access needs. It’s not about catering to a niche, it’s about building for the full spectrum of human experience.

2. Build brand trust and win loyalty

Consumers today are values-driven. They want to support companies that walk the talk on inclusion, sustainability, and social impact. When a business invests in accessibility, it sends a powerful message: we care about everyone.

That message builds trust. And trust builds loyalty.

Brands that lead on accessibility often find themselves rewarded with:

    • Word-of-mouth advocacy from communities that feel seen and supported.

    • Positive press and recognition for doing the right thing.

    • Stronger emotional connection with customers.

And accessibility can help you stand out in crowded markets. While others are still playing catch-up, inclusive brands position themselves as thoughtful, future-facing, and genuinely user-centric.

3. Avoid risk and design out future costs

Let’s be blunt: the legal landscape around digital accessibility is tightening fast. From the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in the US to the European Accessibility Act (EAA) which came into effect on 28 June 2025, regulations are getting sharper, and digital accessibility lawsuits in Europe are rising.

Retroactively fixing accessibility issues is often more expensive and time-consuming than building access in from the start. And beyond the fines, there’s reputational damage to consider. No brand wants to be the next headline for excluding users.

Taking accessibility seriously now means:

    • Lower legal exposure

    • Fewer fire drills

    • Less time (and money) spent undoing poor decisions

Accessibility isn’t just about mitigating risk, it’s about building resilience.

4. Design innovation starts with inclusion

Many of the features we now take for granted (voice control, auto-captions, flexible text sizing) began life as accessibility solutions.

When you design for a broader range of needs, you spark creativity and surface ideas that benefit everyone. Accessibility challenges often drive better user experience design: clearer interfaces, simpler navigation, faster load times, and more intuitive interactions.

Put simply: inclusive design is good design.

By embedding accessibility into the design process, businesses create products that are not only compliant but also more innovative and competitive in the marketplace.

5. Boost SEO, discoverability, and engagement

Search engines and screen readers have a lot in common: both prefer clean structure, meaningful headings, descriptive links, and well-labelled content.

Accessibility features like:

  • Alternative text for images

  • Video transcripts and captions

  • Semantic HTML and ARIA landmarks

…all help improve search engine visibility while making content more usable.

Websites that embrace accessibility often perform better in organic search, attract more traffic, and reduce bounce rates. When content is easier to access, it’s also easier to find, share, and use, boosting your brand’s visibility and engagement.

Learn more over on our guide on how accessibility impacts SEO.

6. Create more inclusive workplaces

Accessibility isn’t just for customers; it benefits employees, too. When internal systems and communication tools are accessible, you unlock productivity, morale, and talent retention.

Inclusive tech enables:

  • Remote and flexible working for people with varying access needs

  • Better collaboration across diverse teams

  • Recruitment of skilled candidates who may have been excluded by inaccessible systems

By embedding accessibility into workplace practices, businesses signal that inclusion isn’t just a brand value; it’s a lived reality.

To make this shift sustainable, organisations need to build a culture of accessibility and inclusion that supports long-term innovation and drives organisational change.

7. Accessibility is a Strategic Investment in the Future

It’s tempting to see accessibility as a line item on the project budget. But accessibility, done right pays dividends through increased reach, improved UX, fewer support tickets, and stronger customer satisfaction.

Accessible products often:

  • Require less maintenance

  • Convert better

  • Attract more users

  • Reduce customer service requests

And they’re future-proof. As your audience grows and diversifies, your accessible foundation allows you to scale without starting from scratch.

Final Thoughts

Accessibility isn’t just about being compliant; it’s a long-term commitment. Businesses that treat accessibility as a strategic investment can expect growth and long-term relevance. It’s a choice to design better, lead with empathy, and future-proof your organisation.

If you care about your customers, your brand, and your bottom line, accessibility isn’t optional; it’s essential.

The question isn’t if you should prioritise it, but how soon should you?

Ready to get started? Start with your users, listen deeply, and be inclusive from the beginning.

To see how other businesses are already doing it, explore our accessibility case studies.

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Discover how we’ve helped organisations overcome accessibility challenges and achieve success.

FAQs

Accessibility can absolutely be a core value and should be actively encouraged within any organisation. When it is embedded as a core value, it can shape decision-making, product design, innovation, and workplace culture.

 

Driving accessibility signals to both customers and employees that inclusion isn’t optional, but that it is part of your business’s identity.

 

Strong leadership plays a critical role in championing inclusion. Organisations that prioritise inclusive leadership are better placed to integrate accessibility into their culture, align teams around shared values, and sustain long-term change.

Yes, they have to be accessible now more than ever. Laws such as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in the US and the European Accessibility Act (EAA) in the EU make accessibility a legal requirement for many organisations.

The EAA applies not only to businesses based in the EU but also to any company that sells products or services within the EU market.

Non-compliance can lead to lawsuits, reputational damage, ineligibility for contracts, and significant financial penalties, which are decided by each individual EU member state.

However, organisations that don’t act early don’t just avoid penalties; they gain a competitive edge, build stronger customer trust, and future-proof their business.

There are many accessible businesses across a range of industries; some well-known examples include:

 

  • Tesco

  • Apple

  • Microsoft

  • Good Energy

  • Asda

  • Lego

  • ASOS

 

These examples show that accessibility is relevant in every industry, and when integrated well, it becomes a catalyst for inclusion and long-term business success.

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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