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According to the National Health Interview Survey, 26.9 million adults in the U.S. have some form of vision loss. These 26.9 million Americans make financial choices every day. This demographic can broaden a market reach, but often, blind consumers are overlooked.
The total disposable income for disabled adults in the U.S. is $490 billion; and the total discretionary income is $21 billion. And while some companies are marketing towards disabled consumers, this is a largely untapped market.
Ensure physical and digital spaces are accessible to reach this untapped market. implement Universal Design into physical environments and websites and apps. If a consumer can’t access a building or website, they are less likely to conduct business with that company.
For the 26.9 million consumers experiencing some form of vision loss, making sure digital content and print forms are accessible is the biggest component to acquiring their business. Creating information and products with inclusive design practices in mind is the future of marketing.
Following WCAG is important to reach out to and retain this market. Reaching out to digital content consultants like Outlook Business Solutions is helpful. These consultants can run diagnostics and provide corrections to ensure digital accessibility.
The following market advice serves all industries including the financial industry.
Expand inclusive hiring practices to reach the disabled market.
Disabled consumers value companies considering and hiring disabled employees. Companies like Bank of America, Northrop Grumman, JP Morgan Chase and Ernst and Young have increased inclusive hiring practices. According to Diversability Magazine, hiring disabled employees can lead to an increase in a businesses bottom line and customer loyalty.
Include people with disabilities in advertisements to strengthen market reach.
Representation in advertising indicates its inclusiveness. It’s not about singling out disabled consumers but including them. Wells Fargo and SunTrust are examples of financial companies using disabled people in ad campaigns.
Actress and disability activist Samantha Renke was approached by bag brand Mia Tiu to discuss how disabled consumers are viewed in terms of marketing. Renke says brands do not need to create separate products for disabled people but just include this market into the creation of products. Disabled people want to actively participate. They don’t want separate products or marketing campaigns; they simply want to be included from the beginning.
Disability does not keep people from being consumers. Twenty-five percent of the U.S. population is disabled; and of this, about 10% have some form of vision loss. Including this percentage into marketing goals only broadens a market reach. That’s billions of dollars that can matriculate through a business.
Composed of professionals with vision loss, Outlook Business Solutions provides accessibility testing for organizations and companies. Skilled technicians – people with disabilities – test various aspects of your online/digital platforms and provide suggestions you can implement to ensure your content meets ADA and WCAG guidelines. We can help you make sure your website can be used by the disabled, giving you an opportunity to expand your client base. Visit our accessibility services page to learn more.
Related: Accessible Format Documents Give Visually Impaired Clients Freedom and Security