Most businesses would never choose to turn customers away. But it happens every day.

Whether it's a website that's difficult to navigate, a product that's hard to use, or communications that exclude parts of the audience, barriers can prevent potential customers from engaging, buying and coming back.

That's not just an accessibility issue. It's a business issue. It means missing out on a significant market opportunity.

Around 16m people in the UK are disabled. In fact, the UK’s “Purple Pound” (the spending power of households with at least one disabled person) is estimated at £274 billion annually.

Crucially, accessibility also extends beyond permanent disabilities. It includes customers with neurodiverse or cognitive needs, those experiencing temporary illness or life events, and older people. Really anyone who could face barriers when interacting with your business.

Improving accessibility can help you win new customers, build loyalty, and reduce risk. By embedding inclusive thinking into everyday decisions, even small changes can deliver big results.

The business case for accessibility

Under the Equality Act 2010, businesses have a duty to make reasonable adjustments for disabled customers. But there is also a compelling commercial argument for accessibility.

According to a House of Commons Committee report, banks and building societies alone lose up to £935m each month due to accessibility issues. High street shops and supermarkets aren’t faring much better – losing more than £750m a month. With four in ten disabled people struggling to visit local high street shops because they are physically inaccessible, this is perhaps unsurprising.

Accessibility is also essential in the digital world. 69% of disabled internet users will leave a website if they encounter an accessibility barrier. 83% of disabled consumers restrict their online shopping to websites they already know are accessible. One study shows that UK businesses lose £70bn annually simply due to lack of accessible payment options.

Common barriers online include difficult navigation, crowded pages, poor contrast, inaccessible forms and websites that don’t work with assistive technologies. This affects not only disabled or neurodiverse customers, but anyone who’s distracted, in a rush, or on the go.

Fixing these barriers is a great way to capture lost revenue, improve your product, and win lasting customer trust.

How you can start improving accessibility

The challenge is often knowing where to begin. But keep in mind that accessibility doesn’t need to involve major investment from the outset. A structured approach can help identify the changes that’ll make the biggest difference. For example:  

• Make accessibility part of business decision-making

It’s important to consider accessibility when developing new products, services, websites or physical spaces. Start by including accessibility as a regular management discussion point. You may also want to consider appointing a dedicated accessibility champion whose role it is to maintain focus on accessibility. It’s also worth bearing in mind that diverse teams can help identify barriers earlier and create better customer experiences. You may wish to factor this into hiring decisions.

• Understand customer experiences

As you embed accessibility into how you work, there are simple exercises that can help staff recognise barriers. For example, you could try to navigate your websites using only a keyboard. Or simulate trying to use products or services with reduced vision or restricted movement.

You can also invite disabled customers to test services and provide feedback. This can give you direct insight into where friction occurs so you can prioritize real improvements. Don’t forget customers with other needs, such as autism, ADHD, dyslexia, dementia, long COVID or limited English proficiency. The same applies to people dealing with temporary life circumstances that limit focus or capabilities. For example, those coping with bereavement, illness or caring responsibilities. It may not always be possible to account for every scenario, but keeping these factors in mind will naturally improve accessibility.

• Improve customer service

As well as implementing measures to understand and cater for different customer experiences, it’s also important to stay on top of training. This doesn’t necessarily have to cost much. For example, the Department for Education has links to some useful free materials to get started.

It’s also worth considering whether billing, contracts and marketing materials are needed in accessible formats. For example, plain English, Easy Read or large print. The most important thing is to make it easy for customers to request adjustments when they need them.

How standards can help build accessible businesses

Standards can give you practical frameworks for understanding accessibility and embedding it into everyday operations. Here are just a few possibilities:

• Understanding customer needs and vulnerability

BS ISO 22458 helps identify and respond to customer vulnerability, including digital exclusion, health conditions and changing life circumstances. It can provide support for improving customer outcomes and reducing complaints by addressing issues earlier.

• Designing inclusive products and services

BS EN 17161 provides a structured approach to designing products, goods and services that can be used by the widest range of people. It can help you consider accessibility from the beginning rather than making adjustments later.

BS EN ISO 21801-1:2021 Provides guidelines for the design and development of cognitively accessible systems, including products and services and built environments.

BS 7000-6:2005 is part of the BS 7000 series on Design Management Systems and provides guidance on managing inclusive design at both organization and project levels.

• Creating accessible digital experiences

BS 8878 and BS ISO/IEC 30071 help organizations embed accessibility into the planning, commissioning, development and maintenance of digital products and services. Building on this foundation, BS EN ISO 9241-20:2021 provides overarching accessibility guidance for ICT products and services, helping organizations identify and remove barriers in customer-facing technology.

BS EN ISO 9241-171:2025 applies these principles specifically to software, providing detailed requirements and guidance for designing applications that can be used by people with a wide range of physical, sensory and cognitive abilities.

To support implementation, BS EN 301549:2021 defines accessibility requirements for ICT products and services, including websites, applications, documents and digital services.

For web content specifically, BS ISO/IEC 40500:2025 sets out detailed accessibility requirements covering a broad range of visual, auditory, physical, speech, cognitive and neurological needs. Applying these guidelines can improve both accessibility and overall usability for a wide range of users.

• Demonstrating commitment to customers

BSI Kitemark for Inclusive Service is based on BS ISO 22458 and is designed to support organizations in delivering inclusive customer experiences. It provides independent recognition that can help build customer trust and confidence. 70% of UK consumers recognise the Kitemark, while 81% say it increases purchasing confidence.

• Premises and physical customer journeys

BS 8300-1:2018 and BS 8300-2:2018 bring together diverse guidance to provide recommendations on inclusive and accessible design across the entire customer journey, covering both the external built environment and the spaces within them.

Accessibility supports sustainable growth

Designing for everyone can open your business to millions of overlooked potential customers. And it doesn’t take much to get started. Small, thoughtful changes to everyday decisions and design choices could turn accessibility into a competitive advantage. Standards are a great way to start understanding and embedding these principles into how you do business.

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