The business case for accessibility: in numbers

Sarah Botterill | 08 Jul 2021

Why should you invest in digital accessibility? What is the return on investment, and how do you measure success? Our infographic below includes a range of related statistics.

We'll share these numbers and more on our upcoming webinar on The Business Case for Digital Accessibility. Hear from global accessibility leaders as to why your company should meet the digital needs of disabled and older people - it's the right thing to do and good for your bottom line.

image shows a variety of statistics relating to the business case for accessibility: 500: The Valuable 500 achieved its aim of 500 CEOs as signatories. The movement aims to get disability recognised at the board level. Founded by Caroline Casey. $16bn: Estimated design spend could shift to tech vendors and service companies that commit to accessibility (the US and Canada), says Forrester Research. £17.1bn: Figure represents estimated lost business from the Click-Away Pound, 2019. Based on disabled people abandoning retail websites due to digital barriers. 550bn: Older people will account for 63p in every pound or £550bn by 2040, says the International Longevity Centre (ILC). $8 trillion: the combined revenue of the members of global movement The Valuable 500. £249 billion: The spending power of disabled people and their households (or so-called Purple Pound) is estimated to be worth £249 billion per year (UK). 60%: 60% of YouTube videos are watched with subtitles enabled showing how inclusive design features benefit us all. 53%: In 2016, 53% of respondents to the Click-Away pound survey used some form of Assistive Technology (AT). In 2019, 63% of all respondents are using AT. This may be related to the increased use of smartphones with inbuilt AT.