The cost of noncompliance: Why accessibility should be a priority for your business

As global standards tighten and digital transformation accelerates, the cost of accessibility noncompliance is rising sharply.

What was once considered a niche issue is now front and centre in boardrooms, HR departments and procurement teams. Failing to meet accessibility standards risks fines, lost customers, damaged brand trust and disruption to day-to-day operations.

This blog explores what noncompliance really costs in 2025. We’ll also share how treating accessibility as a core business value can help you avoid risk, unlock opportunity and lead with purpose.

What is accessibility noncompliance?

Accessibility noncompliance happens when a business fails to meet required regulatory standards that ensure people with disabilities can access and use its products, services, spaces or systems.

It can apply to:

• Physical spaces (e.g. offices, stores and facilities).
• Digital environments (e.g. websites, internal platforms and PDFs).
• Workplace practices (e.g. hiring, onboarding and comms).

Compliance isn’t limited to large corporations. Small and mid-sized businesses are also increasingly being held accountable, especially in regions where legislation and litigation are evolving rapidly.

The real cost of getting it wrong

Accessibility noncompliance comes with serious consequences. The longer businesses wait to act, the higher those costs become.

1. Legal penalties and lawsuits

One of the most immediate risks is legal action. In the US, lawsuits related to digital accessibility continue to surge, with thousands filed each year under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

Inaccessible websites, apps and internal systems are frequent targets. And while some cases settle privately, others result in costly penalties and legal fees that can reach hundreds of thousands.

In the UK, businesses failing to meet obligations under the Equality Act 2010 can face court action, enforcement notices and reputational fallout. In the EU, directives like the European Accessibility Act (EAA) are expanding the scope of what must be accessible and by when. For example, fines for non-compliance can range from €5,000 to €20,000 per violation, depending on severity.

2. Reputational damage

Consumers and employees alike are holding brands to higher standards of inclusion. One high-profile accessibility failure, whether a lawsuit, a customer complaint or a viral social media post, can erode years of brand trust.

Reputational risks include:

• Negative media coverage
• Reduced credibility among the disability community
• Lower rankings on ESG and DE&I indices
• Decreased customer loyalty and net promoter scores.

In today’s world, where consumers increasingly value transparency, accessibility is a brand equity issue, and inaction is damaging.

3. Lost customers and business opportunities

More than 1.3 billion people worldwide live with some form of disability. That’s a huge market and one that’s often underserved because of  poor accessibility.

Businesses lose potential customers and revenue when products, services or digital platforms aren’t inclusive.

The loss isn’t limited to consumers. B2B clients, public sector contracts and global partnerships increasingly require vendors and suppliers to demonstrate accessibility and inclusion efforts. Failing to meet those expectations can mean losing out on major deals.

4. Employee dissatisfaction and attrition

Accessibility isn’t just an external issue; it affects your people, too. When employees can’t access systems, navigate spaces or receive information in a way that suits them, productivity drops and frustration rises.

Poor accessibility leads to:

• Higher attrition rates among employees with disabilities
• Lower staff engagement and morale
• Increased HR complaints and adjustment requests
• Missed opportunities to support neurodiverse or ageing workers.

In other words, inclusive workplaces retain talent. Inaccessible ones lose it.

5. Disruption and retrofitting costs

Many companies fix issues after the fact, waiting until a stakeholder flags them, but retrofitting accessibility is almost always more expensive and disruptive than designing with inclusion in mind.

Last-minute fixes can involve:

• Renovating physical spaces
• Rebuilding digital tools
• Rewriting policies and training content
• Reworking vendor contracts

Proactive design is more cost-effective than reactive remediation. The longer you wait, the higher the financial and cultural price.

The shift from compliance to leadership

The good news? Achieving accessibility compliance isn’t just about minimising risk. It’s also a chance to lead.

Businesses that embed accessibility into their culture, systems and strategies gain more than peace of mind: they gain a competitive edge.

Meet evolving regulations with confidence

In the EU, new directives set a higher bar for workplace transparency, including accessibility performance.

One key development is the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD). This directive requires businesses to report on how they address social and employee matters, including disability inclusion and workplace accessibility.

Even if your business isn’t directly under EU jurisdiction, aligning with these emerging standards is a smart move. It signals forward-thinking leadership and positions your organisation for future growth.

Future-proof your digital infrastructure

Whether it’s your intranet, onboarding platform or customer portal, digital accessibility should always be a core requirement, rather than an afterthought.

Adopting internationally recognised standards like WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) helps ensure your digital ecosystem is usable by all employees and customers, regardless of ability or device. It protects against legal action and improves overall user experience, which is a win-win for IT, HR and marketing.

Boost ESG and DE&I performance

Accessibility is a crucial measure of your business's inclusivity—one that's under growing scrutiny from investors, boards and talent.

By making accessibility a core part of your ESG strategy and DE&I goals, you aren’t just ticking boxes, you’re also building a company people want to support.

What businesses can do today

If your organisation wants to avoid the rising cost of accessibility noncompliance, now is the time to act.  Here’s where to start.

1. Run a workplace accessibility assessment

Tools like Mobility Mojo’s platform help organisations benchmark their accessibility performance and identify areas for improvement.

It’s a quick, scalable way to understand where you stand and where to go next.

2. Align with regulations like the EAA and CSRD

Even if you aren’t operating in the EU, aligning with these frameworks puts you ahead of the curve and shows your commitment to global best practices.

Our articles on both topics are a good starting point:

• What is the EAA? →
• Four practical steps for navigating the built environment component of the European Accessibility Act
• How the CSRD impacts accessibility →

3. Build accessibility into every department

Accessibility shouldn’t sit with just one team. It needs to be embedded into:

• HR (recruitment, onboarding and training)
• IT (platforms, tools and content)
• Facilities (office layout, signage and meeting spaces)
• Communications (internal updates, websites and social media)
• Procurement (vendor requirements and criteria)

It’s also important to remember that cross-functional buy-in is essential for making accessibility stick.

The cost of inaction is rising

Accessibility noncompliance is a business-wide vulnerability that can impact revenue, reputation, recruitment and resilience.

However, the opportunities are immense when businesses shift their mindset from reacting to regulations to embracing inclusion.

At Mobility Mojo, we believe accessibility is about creating spaces and systems where everyone can participate fully and confidently. That starts with understanding where you are and where you want to go.

Ready to avoid the cost of noncompliance and lead with inclusion? Start with a workplace accessibility assessment.

Get started →