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Sixth Annual Digital Accessibility Report

Sixth Annual Digital Accessibility Report

November 2024

Of Interest to the Information Community

Arlington, VA. |. November 15, 2024

Level Access, the leading provider of digital accessibility solutions, in collaboration with the Global Initiative for Inclusive Information and Communication Technologies (G3ict) and the International Association of Accessibility Professionals (IAAP), today released its Sixth Annual State of Digital Accessibility Report. With responses from more than 1,400 professionals across industries—and for the first time, including more than 500 decision makers from the European market—this latest report serves as the most comprehensive overview of how organizations around the world are approaching digital accessibility. It also offers critical insights into the factors driving successful digital accessibility programs, demonstrates the connection between digital accessibility and improved business outcomes, and illuminates the barriers organizations face when implementing digital accessibility at scale.

How are new regulations and technologies impacting digital accessibility programs? What practices are most critical to success? And how does accessibility affect organizations’ bottom lines?

Based on a survey of more than 1,400 professionals in the U.S. and Europe, the Sixth Annual Digital Accessibility Report provides comprehensive insight on how organizations across industries are approaching accessibility, the challenges they’re facing, and the results they’re achieving. Request your copy to stay up to date on the evolution of accessibility.

Published in partnership with the International Association of Accessibility Professionals (IAAP) and Global Coalition for Inclusive ICTs (G3ict), this survey-based research report explores how the digital accessibility landscape is evolving, covering a wide range of topics including:

  • Overall adoption of digital accessibility across the U.S. and European markets
  • The impact of accessibility on key business outcomes, including customer acquisition and revenue
  • The core practices that define mature accessibility programs
  • How organizations are integrating emerging technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) into their accessibility strategies

 

Key Findings

Key findings from the 2024-2025 report include:

  • Adoption of accessibility is widespread in the U.S. and Europe: More than 80% of all respondents say their organization has a digital accessibility policy, up from 72% in 2023. Notably, 86% of professionals in Europe report their organization has a policy, indicating that digital accessibility is now a mainstream consideration within the European market.
  • Urgency around European Accessibility Act (EAA) compliance is lacking: While 73% of all respondents, including those in the U.S. and Europe, are aware that the EAA applies to their organization, only 55% have begun taking action to ensure compliance with the law’s robust requirements (which extend beyond policy adoption). With enforcement beginning in June 2025 for any organization that has customers in the European Union (EU)—regardless of where they’re based—this discrepancy may indicate a gap between awareness and action, with organizations insufficiently prepared to meet the EAA compliance deadline.
  • Artificial Intelligence (AI) and automation drive efficiency: Nearly 80% of respondents say that AI tools are an important factor in their purchasing decisions when buying new digital accessibility tools. And almost 90% say automated remediation—technology that finds and addresses common accessibility errors for the end user—can improve the efficiency of their programs.
  • Accessibility is a growing requirement in digital product procurement: Additionally, 74% report that their organization requires documented proof of accessibility most or all of the time when purchasing digital products—an increase from 58% in 2023 that underscores the growing role of accessibility in business-to-business (B2B) digital product sales.
  • Three key elements drive successful programs—policy, budget, and accountability: Respondents at organizations with an accessibility policy, dedicated budget, and accountable party—pillars of strong program governance—are 75% more likely to say executives are “highly supportive” of digital accessibility than those with some, but not all, of these elements. They’re also nearly 20% more likely to say digital accessibility has helped mitigate legal risk, and more than 70% more likely to say digital accessibility helped improve revenue.
  • Challenges with portfolio management, competing priorities present barriers to progress: Respondents say that difficulty managing a portfolio of digital assets is the number-one challenge they face, followed by competing priorities and insufficient time to address accessibility issues.

Register here to download the full text report.