The Hidden Price of Website Accessibility Gaps

Many businesses treat accessibility as just another item on their compliance checklist. Customers, however, see accessibility as proof that your brand values them. If your website is difficult for people with disabilities to use, the consequences extend beyond legal issues.

Learn how inaccessibility erodes customer trust and damages brand perception. After all, your customers won't remain loyal to a brand they can't trust. Then, access action steps to move your website's accessibility in the right direction.

The Customer Trust and Loyalty Impact of Inaccessible Websites

More than one in four U.S. adults lives with a disability. That adds up to over 61 million people, and that number includes a large portion of the aging population. Many experience age-related changes in vision, hearing, dexterity, or cognition. As a result, any friction that blocks assistive tech or an easy user interface (UI) can eat into your slice of the potential customer base who are elderly and/or living with a disability.

“Accessibility directly increases reach and revenue potential. In many developed markets, populations are aging, so age-related vision, hearing, motor, and cognitive needs represent a growing share of your audience — making accessible design even more critical,” says Lukasz Kaczmarek, CEO of Osom Studio.

Web accessibility often leads to brand loyalty as well. Whether customers notice when accessibility features work flawlessly across devices or just don't get frustrated when using your website, loyal customers stay longer and buy more.

Ultimately, accessible web design is good business. In fact, market research shows that every dollar invested in UX has a $100 return.

How Accessible Website Design Shapes Customer Experience

Inclusive UX expands audience reach. It also improves conversions when navigation is straightforward and text is readable. Here are a few examples of accessible UX that makes websites easier to use for everyone:

• Larger touch targets reduce accidental taps on mobile devices.
• Closed captions help late-night viewers, commuters, and people in open offices.
• Straightforward navigation supports both screen reader users as well as all customers.

On the flip side, inaccessibility adds friction for everyone:

• Poor contrast strains eyes on bright screens.
• Confusing layouts slow down power users.
• Inconsistent buttons increase error rates.

Investing in an accessible website creates a faster, cleaner, more resilient experience for your whole audience.

How Inaccessible Websites Damage Brand Perception

Digital accessibility directly impacts brand perception. Customers may judge your brand based on their digital experience across your website and app. That is why lapses in accessibility feel personal to users.

Exclusion Signals Neglect

Customers may or may not understand if your web design follows Accessible Rich Internet Applications (ARIA) guidelines, but they will notice when their screen reader glitches due to poor UX. Inaccessibility might make those affected users assume that the brand does not value them. That perception erodes trust with buyers who might not return to the website.

Trust Erosion

One bad experience can send a customer to a competitor. A Click-Away Pound survey shows 69% of shoppers with access needs will leave an inaccessible site. And a 2025 Zendesk analysis reports that over 50% of customers would switch to a competitor after a single negative customer experience.

The better path is instead to fix accessibility issues quickly. It protects customer trust and prevents losing market share to competitors.

PR Crises

Accessibility failures often become headlines that quickly spread via online news and social media. Beyoncé’s company, Parkwood Entertainment, was sued in 2019 over an inaccessible store site, a story that drew global coverage and social chatter.

Similarly, the eyewear retailer Eyebobs was sued after an AI overlay blocked screen reader users, and the brand later settled as news outlets amplified the case.

The Hidden Revenue Costs of Poor Website Accessibility

Revenue leaks rarely show up as a single line item. They hide inside bounced visits and abandoned carts.

Lost Revenue

Customers who can't use your site never convert. Kaczmarek sums it up nicely by saying, "inaccessible journeys block purchases, increase abandonment, and exclude a sizable customer base. This directly suppresses sales, conversions, and customer lifetime value." The cost compounds because loyal customers drive referrals and repeat purchases. Block them once, and you lose the compounding effect.

Money Spent on Lawsuits

Lawsuit volume shows the other side of the cost curve. UsableNet’s 2024 analysis estimated more than 4,000 ADA-related digital lawsuits, with a rise in state court filings in New York and California.

Even if a case resolves quickly, the better investment is to adopt accessible web design standards early and track compliance as part of ongoing quality assurance (QA). It's often efficient and cheaper to build features early than to rush the fixes later.

Brand Equity Erosion

Reputation takes years to build and minutes to dent. For example, when someone searches for a brand online, the old ADA website accessibility lawsuits can still come up in search results even years after the lawsuit is settled. Brands often try to handle these situations with PR campaigns, but a crisis communications plan itself can cost $50,000 to $600,000.

Negative news coverage could affect both customer perception and investor confidence.

Falling Behind Competitors

Accessibility is now a competitive differentiator, too. Noncompliance can limit market access and invite penalties, while compliant rivals keep expanding their market share with new products and services.

For example, Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 introduced new success criteria that affect touch targets and authentication flows, among others. Businesses that build compliant features into their design systems move faster and reduce rework later. Conversely, brands that delay will scramble during a redesign and risk rolling out features that are already behind current guidance.

Accessibility requirements are also a global necessity. For instance, the European Accessibility Act (EAA) took effect for many digital services on June 28, 2025. Businesses that don't meet the necessary criteria can't access customers in the European market.

So it's time to treat accessibility as a single operating standard across markets.

Action Steps: Integrating Accessible Web Design Into Your Brand Strategy

Treat accessibility as a brand and UX priority. Include it in your strategy, research, and design systems. Then, enforce it through governance processes. “Accessibility is shifting from a 'one-off project' to a repeatable, governed process,” says Kaczmarek. That mindset unlocks durable progress because it aligns projects, content plans, and QA around the same outcomes.

Here are six actionable steps:

1. Align your standard and target. Use WCAG 2.1 AA as the baseline for an accessible website. Document non-compliant components and create clear acceptance criteria for fixes.
2. Build accessibility into your design system. Make your reusable UI parts (buttons, forms, menus) accessible from the start, and use ARIA when native HTML falls short. Also, ban one-off widgets that bypass the system.
3. Test with people, not just tools. Automated checkers catch code-level issues, but true accessibility depends on human experience. Combine automated scans with manual reviews using assistive technologies like screen readers, voice navigation, and keyboard-only operation. Host moderated usability sessions with people who rely on assistive tech to uncover friction that automated tools can’t detect.
4. Instrument the funnel. Track where customers abandon the site. Add alt text and label coverage to content audits. When you encounter friction, test the path using a screen reader and a keyboard to identify blockers quickly.
5. Run continuous training for designers, writers, and engineers. Keep standards fresh for new hires and agency partners. Link to a practical primer on accessible UX practices and policies.
6. Bring in specialists when needed. Work with web designers who specialize in accessible web design, and hold them accountable for outcomes that combine accessibility and conversion. Independent audits reduce blind spots and help you prioritize work that protects revenue.

Also, always keep pace with the legal requirements. If your brand sells in the EU, the EAA deadline is already here. If you serve public sector clients in the U.S., ADA Title II now explicitly requires web and mobile app accessibility.

Clarify your exposure and update contract language so you can meet commitments without drama.

Make Accessibility a Growth Habit

Accessibility is not a checkbox. It's an ongoing practice that earns trust every time a customer completes a task. The fastest path to value is to bake accessible web design into your system and your roadmap. That approach reduces legal risk and frees your team to focus on growth.

Ready to work with a trusted partner to protect your brand and strengthen customer relationships? Hire a vetted top web designer from the Clutch directory to ensure your website is accessible for all.

About the Author

Jeanette Godreau Senior Content Marketing Specialist at Clutch

Jeanette Godreau crafts in-depth content on web design, graphic design, and branding to help B2B buyers make confident decisions on Clutch.  

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