Accessibility doesn't just benefit a few users, it improves usability for everyone. It’s essential for the 16% of the global population with permanent disabilities (such as blind users who rely on screen readers or people with motor impairments), but it also supports users with temporary or situational limitations, like a broken wrist, holding a baby, or using a phone in bright sunlight or a noisy environment. It also helps older adults experiencing age-related changes in vision or motor control, and even enables modern technologies such as AI agents and voice assistants that depend on structured, accessible content.

Accessibility isn't just a requirement; it’s a direct investment in your product's performance. It immediately expands your market to over 1.3 billion people with disabilities, while the reduced friction and improved UX lead to better conversion rates and more completed sales. Behind the scenes, semantic, structured content boosts your SEO and future-proofs your product for AI agents. This leads to cleaner code, easier maintenance, and the operational efficiency that comes from adopting best-practice development standards.

Not including accessibility is a critical business risk. In the EU, non-compliance with the EAA can result in severe fines and the product being blocked from the entire EU market. In the US, the legal exposure is immense, with accessibility-related settlements exceeding $200 million only in the past year. Suppliers without accessibility certification are also excluded from lucrative public tenders and vendor networks. Ultimately, fixing accessibility late in the process leads to higher maintenance costs, more bugs, and significant brand damage.