Accessibility Isn’t Optional. Not When 1 in 5 Customers Can’t Use Your Business Properly.

TL;DR (😉)


If you run a small business in Australia or New Zealand, here’s a number that should stop you mid-scroll. 

Three circular graphics showing statistics about people living with disability in Australia, New Zealand, and globally.

1 in 5 Australians - 21.4% - live with a disability (that’s around 5.5 million people).
In New Zealand, about 17% (roughly 851,000 people) do.
Globally, around 16% of the world’s population - over 1.3 billion people - experience significant disability.

What most business owners don’t realise is that accessibility isn’t just about ramps, handrails, and wide doorways. It’s your entire business showing up for people, ONLINE and OFFLINE.

When you make your business accessible, you don’t just “do the right thing.” It's not "being a good human" ... You open your door (figuratively speaking) to customers who have been quietly excluded for years.

Silhouette graphic of a family with a person in a wheelchair, accompanied by the text 'Accessibility is lived, not theoretical.'.

For me, this isn't just theory - I'm passionate about inclusivity and accessibility and have been writing, speaking, and sharing on the topic for years. I’m hearing impaired. My husband, Richard, is a C4/C5 complete quadriplegic, after breaking his neck playing rugby back in 2007, when he was 31. 

So, accessibility is not a checklist we talk about over a family chat or a team meeting once a year. It is literally in every show or performance we can't access due to a broken lift, every cafe we can or cannot get into, every accessible bathroom that's full of Christmas decoration storage boxes, and every website that can't be navigated without wanting to throw the laptop out the window. Every programme or movie that doesn't have closed captions as "optional" to turn on, and every party that has stairs! Oh, and what about those shampoo and conditioner bottles with the pale packaging, and the white text?!!! There's so much more I could list here ... but that chat is for another day!

So when I talk about accessibility, I am not talking about “nice to have”.
I am talking about whether people like us can actually be your customers.

What accessibility really means

 

Accessibility means designing your business so people with different bodies, brains, senses and energy levels can use it without jumping through hoops.

Title card with icons and text about accessibility for various needs.

That includes people who are:

  • Using a wheelchair, walker or mobility aid
  • Deaf or hard of hearing (personally, I use "hearing impaired" but we can all choose our own thing!) 
  • Blind or low vision
  • Neurodivergent
  • Living with chronic illness, fatigue or pain
  • Dealing with anxiety, trauma, or sensory overload
  • Ageing, juggling prams, or just having a rough day

It is not a tiny group.
It is your neighbours, your friends, your family, your existing customers or clients, and the ones who gave up trying.

And it is not only about physical spaces.
Online counts just as much.

Your social media, website, booking forms, funnels and emails can be just as inaccessible as a doorway with three steps and no rail.

Let’s look at both.

Physical accessibility: more than ramps and “good vibes”

Icons and text on pink backgrounds highlighting physical accessibility features.

Some simple changes can completely shift whether someone feels welcome or leaves thinking “this place is not for me”.

A few starting points:

Clear, plain-language signage

People should not need to decode your space.
Use simple words, clear icons and obvious directions. If someone arrives feeling anxious, tired or in pain, make it easy.

Room to move

Can a wheelchair, walker, scooter or pram move around without playing furniture Tetris?
Think tables, aisles, counters and queues.

Seating options

Chairs with backs. Somewhere to wait. Space for a support person.
Accessibility often looks like “can I sit down if I need to”.

Lighting and noise

Strobe or flickering lights, very dim rooms, or very loud spaces can make it impossible for some people to stay.
Soft, even light and thought-out sound can be the difference between “I love this place” and “I lasted three minutes”.

Staff who actually know what to do

Honestly, this is the big one.
Kind, trained staff who are not awkward, patronising or panicked make a huge difference.
Things like:

  • Facing a hearing-impaired person when you speak
  • Not grabbing a wheelchair without asking
  • Being patient with speech differences or slower processing
  • Asking “How can I help?” instead of assuming

Many people will forgive a building that is not perfect if the humans in it are thoughtful and willing to learn. 

Digital accessibility: where most businesses quietly lose people

Icons and text related to web accessibility on a pink background

Now let’s talk about your online world.

Because if your website, sales page or booking form is not accessible, it does not matter how friendly you are in person. Many people will never get that far.

Some simple places to start:

Alt-text that actually describes the image

Screen readers use alt-text to tell people what is on the screen.

Aim for the 3 C’s:

  • Clear
  • Concise
  • Contextual

 

So instead of “image” or “woman”, try
“Woman in a wheelchair entering a cafe in Bangalow with a big smile.”

Captions on every video

Laptop screen showing two people in a video call with a caption about accessibility, on a white background.

Not auto-generated gobbledygook!
Real captions that have been checked for names, numbers and meaning.

Captions help deaf and hearing-impaired people, neurodivergent people, tired parents watching at midnight and everyone who scrolls with the sound off.

Readable colour contrast

Tiny grey text on a pale background might look pretty in Canva, but many people simply cannot read it.
Use strong contrast and decent font sizes. Your designer brain might resist, your customers will not.

Simple, logical layout

Clear headings. Obvious buttons. No walls of text.
People using assistive tech, older devices, slower internet or brain fog need things to be predictable and simple.

Forms and checkouts that do not fight people

Labels on fields. Enough time before a form times out. Payment pages that work on mobile.
If someone with visual or cognitive differences cannot get through your checkout, you have just locked them out of buying from you.

So how do you actually start uncomplifying accessibility?

You do not have to fix everything at once.
You just have to start.

Accessibility checklist with physical and digital quick check items on a white background

Here is a simple Hello Media style checklist you can use as a starting point:

Quick physical check

  • Can someone using a wheelchair or walker get into your space and move around?
  • Is there somewhere to sit and wait?
  • Are your signs clear and easy to read?
  • Would a new staff member know how to support a customer with access needs?

Quick digital check

  • Do your images have useful alt-text?
  • Do your videos have accurate captions?
  • Is your text big enough and high contrast?
  • Can someone complete a key task on your website in three simple steps or less?

If the answer is “no” or “I have no idea”, that is your next action item.

Quote by Kylie Mckenna Allen on accessibility being smart human business with a light blue circle and name.

Accessibility is not charity. It is smart, human business.

Here is what happens when you commit to accessibility, on and offline:

  • More people can literally use your business
  • Customers feel seen and respected
  • Word-of-mouth grows, especially in disability communities
  • You build trust, and trust is what keeps people coming back
  • You feel good about the experience you are creating

Accessible marketing is inclusive marketing.
It is not a separate project, it is how you show up.

If you would like to go deeper into this topic, I have written another blog about why inclusive marketing must include accessibility, especially in your content and visuals. You can read it here: Why inclusive marketing must be accessible marketing.

In the meantime, here is your little nudge:

Next time you update a page, post a reel, move a chair or train a new staff member, ask yourself a simple question.

Cartoon character with a question mark and text about updating something and potentially excluding people.

“Who might I be accidentally excluding?”

And then tweak something so the answer is “fewer people than yesterday”.

That is accessibility in real life. Not perfect. Just better, on purpose.

Summary:
Accessible business practices matter in Australia, New Zealand and across regional communities like the Northern Rivers. With 21.4% of Australians and 17% of New Zealanders living with a disability, making your physical space and your digital presence accessible helps local residents, tourists, carers, ageing customers, families with prams, and anyone navigating mobility, sensory or cognitive differences.

Q: What makes a small business accessible?
A business is accessible when people with different bodies, brains, senses and energy levels can use it without barriers. This includes clear signage, space to move, seating, good lighting, trained staff, readable website layouts, accurate captions, meaningful alt text, simple forms and colour contrast that works. Accessibility applies to your physical space and your digital experience.

Q: Why does accessibility matter for small businesses?
Because millions of people can’t use businesses that haven’t considered access needs. Accessibility builds trust, increases loyalty and improves customer experience for everyone.

Q: Is accessibility only about physical spaces?
Not at all. Websites, social media, booking systems and checkouts can be just as inaccessible as a doorway with steps.

Q: What is the easiest place to start?
Begin with alt text, captions, colour contrast, clear signage, and space to move. Small changes compound quickly.

Q: Does accessibility cost a lot to implement?
Most improvements are low-cost or free. Many are simply design choices and staff training.

Q: How does accessibility affect marketing?
Accessible marketing ensures your content, visuals and brand messages can actually be consumed by more people. That means more reach and better engagement.

Resources:

Platforms and Training Programs 

Products 

Further resources 






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