Why Accessibility in Communications Goes Beyond Compliance

When many professionals think about accessibility, they think about legal requirements. The Web Content Accessibility Guideline (WCAG) standards. Regional legislation (Americans with Disabilities Act, Accessible Canada Act, U.K.’s Equality Act, etc.) compliance. Checking boxes to avoid penalties. But here's what that mindset misses: accessibility isn't just a legal obligation. It's a business opportunity, a trust builder, and increasingly, a competitive advantage.

The companies that understand this aren't just meeting minimum standards. They're using accessible communication as a cornerstone of their brand reputation, creating better experiences for everyone in the process.

What do we mean when we say accessible communications?

Accessible communications make sure that everyone can use, understand and engage with your content, regardless of disability or circumstance. This includes adding captions to videos, writing in plain language, ensuring documents work with screen readers, providing alt text for images and designing emails that are navigable by keyboard. It means creating content that people can consume in the way that works best for them, whether they're blind, D/deaf, have a cognitive disability, or experience temporary limitations. People are rarely reading your information in a perfect environment. It's about removing barriers, so your message reaches everyone you're trying to communicate with.

Accessible communications are more impactful for everyone

The features you implement for accessibility almost always improve the experience for all users. Take captions on videos. Yes, they're essential for people who are deaf or hard of hearing. But they're also used by people watching videos in noisy environments, in quiet spaces where they can't use sound, or in their second language. Studies show that a majority of people use captions at least some of the time, regardless of hearing ability.

Consider plain language. Writing clearly and concisely helps people with cognitive disabilities or learning differences. It also helps people who are reading quickly, accessing information on mobile devices, or working in their non-primary language. Plain language reduces misunderstandings, saves time and increases engagement across the board.

The same principle applies to document structure. Proper heading hierarchies help screen reader users navigate content efficiently. They also help everyone scan documents faster and understand how information is organized. Clear link text benefits people using assistive technology and improves search engine optimization for everyone.

This is why forward-thinking organizations view accessibility as an innovation driver rather than a burden. When you design communications to work for the widest possible range of people, you're forced to think more carefully about clarity, structure, and user experience. The result is communications that perform better by every measure.

Accessibility is part of your brand promise

Think about what your brand stands for. If words like "inclusive," "innovative" or "customer-focused" appear in your values statement, your communications need to reflect those commitments. Accessibility isn't separate from your brand. It's proof that you mean what you say.

When you prioritize accessible communications, you're sending a clear message to multiple audiences. Customers see that you value their business and recognize their needs. Employees understand that you're committed to an inclusive workplace where everyone can contribute. And investors increasingly recognize that companies with strong environmental, social and governance (ESG) practices tend to be better managed overall.

Consider this: globally, more than 1.3 billion people live with some form of disability. That's roughly 16 per cent of the world's population. This community represents a combined spending power estimated at $13 trillion annually, often called the "purple pound" or "disability market." And that’s before we consider the 1 in 12 men (and 1 in 12 women) who are colourblind. When your communications exclude people, you're not just missing a legal requirement. You're walking away from a massive market segment and actively damaging relationships with customers, employees and stakeholders who matter to your success.

Organizations that ignore accessibility face public criticism, social media backlash and lost trust that's difficult to rebuild. Meanwhile, companies known for accessible communications earn loyalty from customers who feel genuinely valued.

Compliance is the floor, not the ceiling

Yes, you need to meet WCAG standards and follow local accessibility legislation. These frameworks provide essential baselines. But if you stop there, you're missing the point.

Legal standards tell you the minimum. They don't tell you whether your communications actually work for real people in real situations.

That's why the most effective accessibility strategies combine technical compliance with something equally important: feedback from people with lived experience of disability. Regular audits against WCAG criteria will catch missing alt text or colour contrast issues. But conversations with users who rely on screen readers, voice recognition software, or captioning will reveal whether your content is truly usable.

Set up feedback mechanisms that make it easy for people to share their experiences. This could mean usability testing with diverse participants, feedback forms on your website, or employee resource groups that can review internal communications. When someone tells you that your latest email newsletter is impossible to navigate with a keyboard, or that your video captions are too fast to read, that's not criticism. It's valuable intelligence that helps you improve.

This user-centred approach does something compliance checklists can't. It builds relationships. When people see that you're not just following rules but actively listening and adapting, they become advocates for your brand.

Building an accessibility-first culture

Moving beyond compliance requires a shift in organizational culture. Accessibility can't be something the legal team worries about or a last-minute check before publishing. It needs to be embedded in how your communications team works from the start.

This means training communicators, marketers, and HR professionals on accessibility principles. It means including accessibility in your content strategy discussions and creative briefs. It means celebrating improvements and learning from mistakes without shame.

It also means allocating appropriate resources. Accessibility takes time and sometimes money, whether that's for captioning services, consulting, or better content management tools. But consider this an investment in quality and reach, not an expense. The return comes through expanded audience, reduced legal risk, stronger reputation and communications that simply work better.

Progress not perfection

Start where you are. Audit your current communications to understand gaps. Prioritize the changes that will have the biggest impact. Build relationships with people who can provide authentic feedback. And most importantly, commit to continuous improvement rather than one-time fixes.

Accessibility in communications isn't about perfection. It's about progress, respect and recognizing that how you communicate says as much about your values as what you communicate.

When you move beyond seeing accessibility as a compliance checkbox and embrace it as integral to how you serve your audiences, something powerful happens. You build trust, expand your reach and create communications that work better for everyone. That's not just good ethics. It's good business.

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