by Erminia Spada e Federica Berbenni, UI Designer and UX Designer in Excellence Innovation

In an increasingly competitive digital context, accessibility is establishing itself as a necessity, even for B2B companies. It is not just a regulatory requirement: it is a key factor that can determine the success of a digital product or service on the market.

Adopting accessibility criteria means designing and developing digital solutions that can be used by all people, regardless of their abilities. Referring to the definition by AgID (Agenzia per l’Italia Digitale), digital accessibility is “the ability of IT systems, such as websites and apps, to provide services and information that can be used by anyone and in any situation.”

In other words, everything that is conceived, developed, and distributed in digital form should be usable in a full, effective, and autonomous way by all people, regardless of their physical, sensory, or cognitive conditions. In the B2B world, this means ensuring that employees, customers, or partners can interact without barriers with corporate platforms and tools. A non-accessible interface can in fact become a concrete obstacle to operations, collaboration, or user satisfaction.

Regulatory framework
The regulatory framework is one of the main drivers of the adoption of digital accessibility and, over the years, the regulations have become increasingly strict. In Italy, the first obligations date back to 2004 with the Legge Stanca, which introduced the accessibility requirement for Public Administration websites. Since then, the topic has gained increasing relevance, leading to the definition of European references such as Directive EU 2016/2102 and, at the national level, the AgID Guidelines on the Accessibility of IT tools.

In the private sector, a turning point was the Decreto Semplificazioni (DL 76/2020), which extended some obligations of Law 4/2004 to private entities as well. But it is with the European Accessibility Act (Directive EU 2019/882), in force since 28 June 2025, that a real paradigm shift takes place: the regulation aims to harmonize accessibility requirements across the European Union, including a much wider range of digital products and services, even beyond the public sphere. In support of this regulation, the WACG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) developed by the W3C represent the technical reference standard. The WCAG are based on four fundamental principles—perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust—and are structured into 12 operational guidelines that provide practical indications for making digital content and services accessible to all users, regardless of their abilities or the devices used.

5 reasons to invest in inclusive B2B products: benefits for the company
Designing in an accessible way—rather than limiting oneself to meeting a legal obligation—makes it possible to reach a wider audience, improve the user experience for everyone, and strengthen the brand’s reputation as attentive, inclusive, and innovative, thus creating benefits for the company. Let’s analyze some of them below.

1. Expansion of the potential market
   According to the World Health Organization, over 1 billion people worldwide live with some form of disability. Making products, services, and digital platforms accessible allows the inclusion of a broader range of users, including people with disabilities, but also partner organizations or customers with specific needs linked to different work contexts.
2. Improvement of the user experience for everyone
   Many accessibility principles—such as layout clarity or consistency of UI components—coincide with those of good user experience. Think about it: the subtitled videos we are now used to were created for people who are deaf or hard of hearing, but they are useful to anyone who wants to follow a video in a noisy or crowded environment. Similarly, the use of high-contrast text and crisp icons is essential for people with low vision, but it also ensures readability for those who normally have no visual problems in bright sunlight or low-visibility conditions.
3. Reduction of legal and reputational risks
   As mentioned, a non-accessible product exposes the company to litigation and administrative fines, especially if it falls into categories subject to legal obligations. Acting proactively on regulatory compliance makes it possible to prevent reputational damage arising from public reports or legal disputes.
4. Optimization of internal processes
   What better occasion than this to create a design system that forms the foundation of the company’s product?
   A well-structured design system centralizes and standardizes components, styles, patterns, and behaviors. This means that choices related to accessibility can be integrated at the root directly into the components used (e.g., buttons with visible focus, colors with adequate contrast), without having to intervene manually on every single page or section of the product.
5. Market positioning
   Investing in accessibility is not only an ethical or regulatory choice, but it also contributes to the company’s competitive positioning. Digital products designed to be accessible highlight an attentive, inclusive approach oriented to users’ needs—factors increasingly appreciated by customers, partners, and investors.

How to build a business case for digital accessibility?
Once the reasons for investing in accessibility are clear, let’s see how to structure an effective business case.

1. Definition of objectives and metrics
   First, it is useful to clarify the goal to be achieved: are we dealing with a product we are designing from scratch, or does the tool already exist and need improvement? In the first case, accessibility will be integrated into the process starting from the design phase. In the second case, it will be necessary to proceed step by step, and it will therefore be useful to set objectives (for example, “reduce by 80% the main accessibility barriers of the portal within 6 months”); this will help estimate costs, efforts, and provide a shared vision of the target to be reached.
2. Structuring the dedicated team
   In the initial phase it is necessary to create an internal team dedicated to the project, composed, for example, of designers for product design, developers for development, and project managers for defining the roadmaps to follow in order to reach the set objectives.
3. Data collection
   To make a business case on accessibility more effective, it is essential to collect data and concrete evidence that demonstrate its impact. For this purpose you can use:

• User and market data, quantifying how many users have needs linked to accessibility (e.g., disabilities, advanced age) and showing the potential for inclusion.
• Competitor benchmarks, analyzing the level of accessibility of competitors to highlight opportunities for differentiation or the risk of falling behind.
• Real feedback, gathering user reports or requests, audit or test results, to show current problems or possible improvements.

1. Evidence of ROI or expected result
   To make the business case more convincing, it is essential to demonstrate the return on investment (ROI) of accessibility, translating benefits into concrete metrics and economic estimates, such as revenue from new business opportunities, costs avoided thanks to timely fixes, and the reduction of support requests and user dissatisfaction.
2. Formulation of guidelines and an action plan
   An effective business case must conclude with a list of guidelines and a clear action plan. This helps demonstrate the feasibility of the project and reduce uncertainty for decision-makers.
3. Speak the language of business
   It is essential to anticipate possible objections (e.g., “it is not mandatory,” “it brings no value,” “it is too expensive”) that can be answered in advance with data, practical examples, and concrete scenarios. The goal is to eliminate uncertainty, demonstrate the value of the investment, and strengthen the credibility of the proposal.

In conclusion, digital accessibility in B2B products can no longer be considered a secondary aspect: it is a determining factor for companies’ competitiveness and sustainability. Those who choose to integrate it from the outset prepare to lead an increasingly inclusive market, where the user experience is central. Conversely, postponing this step means exposure to concrete risks, not only in terms of lost opportunities but also additional costs for future adjustments.

The message is simple: the time to act is now. Analyze the accessibility status of your solutions, raise awareness within teams, and define an intervention plan, even a gradual one. Every step forward, however small, represents a long-term investment. Making your digital products accessible means going beyond regulatory compliance: it means innovating responsibly, creating value for people, and strengthening your position in the market. Choosing accessibility today means laying solid foundations for a more competitive, fair, and lasting future.