The need for a Business Case

In many organizations accessibility is still a new concept or it is not widely accepted.  In order to justify a request for resources dedicated to the goal of accessibility, the accessibility champion needs to make the business case explaining why accessibility is in the best interest of the organization.  Different organizations are motivated by aspects of the business case that are most relevant to their type of enterprise.  For example, a private business may be most interested in fiscal benefits, while a public government entity may be more persuaded by legal requirements and risks, as well as success in meeting the agency’s mission.

Specific Advantages

• Drives Innovation: Finding solutions for accessibility involves searching for alternative ways to achieve goals, such as different and flexible user interfaces or features that are attractive to all.
• Positive Company Branding: Having a public identity as inclusive and supportive of customers with disabilities is a way to gain the loyalty of people with disabilities and their families and allies.
• Expanding Market Reach: People with disabilities comprise up to 20% of the population.  Making sure they can use a company’s products increases the potential market.
• Minimize risk of Lawsuits and Complaints: As technology has become a necessary aspect of countless daily activities, more people with disabilities have come forward to file complaints and lawsuits when faced with barriers.  The time and cost of defending a case in court is not a necessary business expense.

Resources

The Business Case for Digital Accessibility, a comprehensive article with extensive resources published by the Web Accessibility Initiative of W3C.

Making the Business Case for Building Accessible Apps, by TWG published in Medium.

Business Case for Web Accessibility in 2017 [Infographic], published on the UsableNet website.