Investing in Accessibility
This week I read an insightful post on LinkedIn from digital agency Drum Studios about return-on-investment with accessibility features:
A message to the decision makers. I’ve heard a few times this year that decision makers are challenging the return on investment (ROI) of accessibility which I find quite surprising considering accessibility helps literally everyone.
Drum list several good examples of large market segments that rely on accessibility features. 26% of the UK market has a disability, so it’s a huge segment and shouldn’t be overlooked.
What I felt was worth adding, was that the 74% of UK customers who don’t have a disability still benefit from accessibility features. Accessibility features benefit everyone.
Here are three obvious examples:
Subtitles: I don't know anyone who is deaf and *needs* subtitles, yet almost everyone I know has subtitles turned on, when streaming TV. When using social media platforms like TikTok, subtitles either help clarify the message, or ensure you can watch the video if you find yourself in a public place without headphones.
Voice-to-text: This technology was originally designed for people struggling with mobility (eg patients with a spinal cord injury) but is used in products like Siri and Alexa by everyone. If you’ve used Siri to send a text while driving, or set a kitchen timer via Alexa, you’ve benefitted!
High contrast mode: These were developed for people with visual impairments to light sensitivity. In 2019, when Apple announced Dark Mode was coming to the Mac, the feature got a huge cheer. It is popular with everyone from programmers to designers as it helps reduce eye-strain.
Features originally designed for accessibility have become essentials in plenty of cases. When it comes to design, principles which could be considered “accessibility features” like high contrast and legible text, are really just good design principles. In short… don’t overlook accessibility.
