The National Captioning Institute recently found that 66% of viewers of captioned TV are more likely to buy a product that has a captioned commercial; 53% will actively seek out products advertised with captions; and 35% will switch to brands that use captioned ads.
Why should you care? If for no other reason, spending power; the large and growing market of people with disabilities control over $175 billion in discretionary spending, a figure that is almost two times the spending power of teens and more than 17 times the spending power of tweens (8-12 year-olds), two demographics sought after by businesses.
An Open Doors Organization study estimated in 2003 that diners with disabilities would spend $35 billion in restaurants that year. The study found that more than 75% of people with disabilities eat out at restaurants at least once a week.
The New York Times reported that spending by travelers with disabilities exceeds $13.6 billion annually.
AARP says that 4 million Americans turn 50 each year and that people age 50 and older spent nearly $400 billion in 2003. At age 50, adults are likely to experience age-related physical changes that may affect hearing, vision, cognition, and mobility.
And the benefits don´t stop in the U.S. market, as the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that there are 600 million people with disabilities around the world.
Examples of the global spending power of people with disabilities include:
United Kingdom: The Institute of Employment Studies reported that in 1999, Britons with disabilities had a disposable income total of £50 billion.
Australia: The Australian Bureau of Statistics estimated that Australians with disabilities have a discretionary income of at least AUS $26 billion.
Canada: The Conference Board of Canada reported in 2001 that the combined annual disposable income of working-aged Canadians with disabilities was CAN $25 billion.
This huge customer market can represent additional business and profit for your enterprise. Accessibility attracts not only people with disabilities, but also their families and friends. Like anyone else, customers with disabilities often visit stores, restaurants, movie theaters, and other businesses accompanied by family or friends. This expands the potential market exponentially!
The key point to remember is that everyone benefits when businesses give customers with disabilities an equal opportunity to obtain their goods and services. By positively recognizing customers of all ability levels, businesses can make it easier for people with disabilities as well as other customers to access and purchase the services or products they have to offer. In other words, accessibility pays dividends and makes good business sense.
Making it possible for customers with disabilities to purchase your goods and services is not only an important part of complying with the ADA and Section 508, but is also an important part of any business plan.
