Numbers that Inspire Us

Over the years, accessibility in various aspects has become an increasingly important topic. Changes are difficult, sometimes slower than we would like, but… they are happening! We eagerly follow how these changes impact our lives and the lives of those around us. We are happy to see more spaces where we can be together and learn from each other. Recognizing these small steps is important because it drives us to take action and shows us the meaning of our efforts. Join us in looking at some of these numbers and… let’s keep moving forward!

Technology

We wouldn’t be ourselves if we didn’t start with statistics about technology usage. Since almost everyone uses a phone or tablet, here are a few numbers about the most popular systems in terms of accessibility:

45%

of iOS users in the Netherlands have at least one accessibility setting enabled on their phone, and 15% of them use at least two such settings.
38%use dark mode
9.9%use zoom
9.8%use high contrast mode
4.2%enable bold text
3.6%use voice search

62%

62% of surveyed people in the Netherlands with an Android device use at least one accessibility setting. Moreover, a quarter of Android users have at least two features enabled to improve accessibility.
24%use dark mode
2%use zoom
0.5%enable bold text

View source

Employment

A common myth is that people with disabilities are confined to their homes and do not want to be professionally active. What do the numbers say about this? We decided to investigate. It turns out that although the employment rate for people with disabilities is lower than for people without disabilities in the working age population, it is gradually increasing. Here are some examples:

While the employment activity of people with disabilities still significantly lags behind that of non-disabled people, positive changes are visible over the years.

Poland

34.2%+1.3

This was the employment rate for people with disabilities of working age in Poland in 2022.
6%-0.6

Was the unemployment rate for people with disabilities of working age in Poland in 2022.

504 k

The number of people with disabilities of working age who were employed in Poland in 2022.

View source

USA

22.5%

The employment rate for people with disabilities in 2023 was the highest recorded since 2008.

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OECD

40%

The employment rate for people with disabilities in OECD countries has slightly improved over the last decade. The average rate is now higher than in 2008.

View source

Industries and Sectors of Employment

63%

of people with disabilities work in services, 31% in industry, and 6% in agriculture.

View source

E-commerce

People with disabilities are not only becoming increasingly active participants in the labor market, but many of them also shop online. They buy not only digital services or products but also physical ones. They also do their daily shopping with home delivery. And what do they value?

56%

of surveyed people with disabilities say that the main factor influencing their choice of an online store is digital accessibility, followed by product variety (second) and prices (third).

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27%

of people with disabilities reported that they cancel purchases at least once a month due to accessibility barriers, while 8.5% do so at least once a week. View source regarding the cancellation of purchases. Page opens in a new window

36%

would choose a store, even if the product was more expensive, just because of the store's digital accessibility. View source regarding store selection. Page opens in a new window

50%

of people with disabilities buy physical products online at least once a month.

of people with disabilities shop online almost every day.

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This is the annual loss in global e-commerce sales due to digitally inaccessible online stores.

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Leisure, Additional Activities

Taking care of one’s well-being is not only about work and shopping. It is also about finding ways to spend free time, including participation in cultural activities, sports events, visiting religious places, or going to a restaurant with family and friends. In times of increasing awareness of architectural and digital accessibility, do people with disabilities participate in the life of local communities? Let the numbers speak:

20%

of people with disabilities in the UK participated in organized sports activities in the past year. View source regarding participation in sports activities. Page opens in a new window

66%

of people with disabilities in the UK feel motivated to engage in physical activity to improve or maintain their physical health. View source regarding motivation. Page opens in a new window

Number of people with disabilities in the UK would like to be more active.

76%

View source

84%

The accessibility of restaurants has a significant impact on customer loyalty. More than three-quarters (84%) of blind and visually impaired respondents reported that the accessibility of a restaurant significantly influenced their willingness to visit again.

View source

More than ever, people with disabilities are actively participating in cultural life as creators and consumers of art. In 2012, 20% of adults with disabilities (6.4 million people) in the United States attended at least one music or dance event, such as a concert, festival, opera, or ballet performance. 25% of them visited venues and events related to visual arts, including 11% who visited museums and galleries

View source

10%

Similarly, in Poland, people with disabilities make up 10% of museum visitors (based on data from 31 museums in Kraków).

View source

Access to cultural offerings is also strongly influenced by well-prepared websites. These make it easier to obtain the necessary information for organizing a visit, purchasing tickets, or exploring works of art in alternative ways.

In our report, we described how accessible the websites of the 17 most famous museums in Europe are.

View the report

Podsumowanie

What do the numbers tell us about people with disabilities? They work, shop, want to spend their time actively, and participate in social life. Year by year, the statistics paint a more optimistic picture.

It’s important to look back sometimes, just to realize how much has already been accomplished. But hold on, there is still a lot to be done in terms of accessibility, especially digital accessibility. May these numbers inspire us to take further action, so that in a rapidly changing world, everyone can find a place where they feel at home, and local communities can benefit from everyone’s input, including people with disabilities. Yes, there aren’t many of these numbers, and sometimes we have to dig for them like precious gems. But yes, they let us soar amongst the clouds, because we believe that together we can make them grow faster.

If these numbers speak to you, if you see a new customer segment that would benefit from your services, and you want to talk about transforming your digital product, get in touch with us.