More than 1 billion people (or 16%) globally live with disabilities, making them the world’s largest minority group. However, statistically, people with disabilities face significant barriers in employment: they are 50% less likely to be employed. Even people with disabilities who have advanced degrees earn $21,000 less per year than those without disabilities. Ensuring that all people, regardless of their abilities, have equal, fair and complete working conditions is a moral and ethical obligation. This also includes accessibility for digital technologies.
In some European countries, there are already legal requirements in place. In addition, on June 28, 2025, the European Accessibility Act (EAA) came into force, aiming to harmonize national laws and set minimum accessibility standards for people with disabilities. Non-compliance can result in fines. In a single instance, administrative penalties may range from €5,000 to over €250,000 per breach, based on the seriousness of the non-compliance. Recurring fines of up to €1,000 per day may be applied until corrective action is taken, and access to the market may be withheld for products or services that remain non-compliant. Apart from legal and financial consequences, there are also reputational risks to fear.
However, these are counterbalanced by the broader benefits – Digital Accessibility fosters a more inclusive and equitable work environment, which benefits everyone involved and helps businesses to meet their ESG targets.
So, which technologies can contribute to Digital Accessibility?
What does Digital Accessibility mean?
Better accessibility leads to a higher quality of life in the workplace, which means companies benefit from greater commitment, lower staff turnover, and higher job satisfaction. This, in turn, can not only increase productivity – there are figures that show 25 percent higher productivity than industry averages for companies that are leaders in the inclusion of people with disabilities – but also promote idea generation, innovation, and collaboration.
At the same time, companies are looking to expand their talent pools, which is not an insignificant factor given demographic trends. Companies that take a pioneering role are more likely to attract and retain diverse talent and build a positive reputation as an inclusive employer.
In addition, a study by Accenture shows businesses that prioritize disability inclusion see 28% higher revenues. Conversely, the exclusion of people with disabilities from the workplace, on the other hand, can reduce a country's GDP by up to 7%.
However, around 70% of disabilities are invisible, which makes it even more challenging to design workplaces that are accessible due to the number of people choosing not to disclose their disabilities at work to avoid stigma or discrimination. Therefore, it is all the more important that accessibility is built in as a standard from the very beginning within the workplace, in policies, in ways of working and also in digital technologies.
Therefore, accessible technology must be intentionally designed to include, not exclude, people with ongoing disabilities or any other people who may have temporary access difficulties, such as injuries, which is why Digital Accessibility is also key to this.