Disability Market Size Statistics
The disability market is one of the largest underserved consumer segments in the world:
- 1.3 billion people globally have a significant disability — 16% of the world's population (WHO, 2023)
- $18.3 trillion global disability market including people with disabilities and their friends and family (Return on Disability Group, 2024)
- More than 1 in 4 US adults have some type of disability (CDC, 2026)
- $674.3 billion in total disposable income held by US working-age adults with disabilities (American Institutes for Research, 2026)
- Extended market reach: 2.9 billion friends and family members are directly touched by disability (Return on Disability Group, 2024)
- 69% of disabled online consumers will click away from websites they find difficult to use due to the effect of their disability (Click-Away Pound Survey, 2020)
- £17.1 billion a year in online sales that UK retailers could be missing out on from inaccessible websites (Click-Away Pound Survey, 2020)
- Aging population: By 2030, 1 in 6 people globally will be aged 60 or over — and age-related impairments make accessibility critical (WHO, 2025)
ADA Website Accessibility Lawsuit Statistics
The legal landscape for web accessibility has escalated dramatically and shows no sign of slowing:
| Year | Federal ADA Lawsuits | YoY Growth | Avg Per Day |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 2,258 | +177% | 6.2 |
| 2019 | 2,256 | -0.01% | 6.2 |
| 2020 | 2,523 | +14% | 6.9 |
| 2021 | 2,895 | +12% | 7.9 |
| 2022 | 3,255 | +12% | 8.9 |
| 2023 | 2,794 | -14% | 7.7 |
| 2024 | 2,452 | -13% | 6.7 |
| 2025 | 3,117 | +27% | 8.5 |
(Source: Seyfarth Shaw, 2026; website accessibility lawsuits filed in US federal court)
- 69% of lawsuits targeted eCommerce websites in the first half of 2025, the top target ahead of food service and healthcare (UsableNet, 2025)
- Company size: 36% of companies sued in 2025 had over $25M in annual revenue (UsableNet, 2025)
- Top states for federal lawsuits (2025): New York (1,021), Florida (961), Illinois (585) (Seyfarth Shaw, 2026)
WCAG Compliance Statistics
- 95.9% of home pages have detected WCAG 2 failures (WebAIM Million, 2026)
- Average of 56.1 accessibility errors per home page (WebAIM Million, 2026)
- 83.9% of home pages have low contrast text — the most common error (WebAIM Million, 2026)
- 53.1% of home pages have missing alternative text for images (WebAIM Million, 2026)
- 46.3% of home pages have empty links (WebAIM Million, 2026)
- 51% of home pages have missing form input labels (WebAIM Million, 2026)
Common Accessibility Errors by Industry
| Error Type | % of Sites Affected | Impact Level | Ease of Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low Color Contrast | 83.9% | High | Easy |
| Missing Alt Text | 53.1% | High | Easy |
| Empty Links | 46.3% | Medium | Easy |
| Missing Form Labels | 51.0% | High | Medium |
| Missing Document Language | 13.5% | Medium | Very Easy |
(Source: WebAIM Million 2026)
Accessibility & Conversion Rate Impact
- 69% of disabled online consumers click away from websites they find difficult to use — representing £17.1 billion a year in UK online sales (Click-Away Pound Survey, 2020)
- 86% of participants with access needs have chosen to pay more for a product from an accessible website rather than buy it for less from a harder-to-use one (Click-Away Pound Survey, 2020)
Shopify-Specific Accessibility Data
- Shopify home pages averaged 75.1 detected errors in the WebAIM Million, 33.9% more than the average home page (WebAIM Million, 2026)
Global Accessibility Regulation Statistics
| Regulation | Region | Standard | Enforcement |
|---|---|---|---|
| ADA Title III | United States | WCAG 2.1 AA | Private lawsuits |
| EAA (European Accessibility Act) | EU (27 countries) | EN 301 549 / WCAG 2.1 AA | June 2025 (active) |
| AODA | Ontario, Canada | WCAG 2.0 AA | Fines up to $100K/day (BOIA, 2021) |
| Equality Act 2010 | United Kingdom | WCAG 2.1 AA | Legal action |
| DDA | Australia | WCAG 2.0 AA | Human rights complaints |
(Sources: W3C 2025, EU Commission 2025, AODA 2025)
2026 Accessibility Trends
- EAA enforcement began June 2025: EU merchants now legally required to meet EN 301 549 standards (Source: EU Commission, 2025)
Key Takeaways
- The disability market is massive: 1.3 billion people with a significant disability and an $18.3 trillion global market including friends and family — and 69% of disabled online consumers click away from sites they find difficult to use.
- Legal risk is real and growing: 3,117 federal website accessibility lawsuits in 2025, up 27% from 2024, with eCommerce the top target.
- 95.9% of home pages have detected WCAG 2 failures — making compliance a genuine competitive advantage.
- Shopify home pages average 75.1 detected errors — 33.9% more than the average home page in the WebAIM Million.
Recommended Tools Backed by the Data
- EA Accessibility: Provides one-click WCAG support for Shopify stores, addressing the most common accessibility errors (color contrast, keyboard navigation, screen reader support, alt text).
- EA SEO & Page Speed Optimizer: Accessibility and performance overlap significantly. Proper image optimization with alt text, lazy loading, and reduced layout shift improves both Core Web Vitals and WCAG compliance simultaneously.
- EA Sticky Cart Drawer & Upsell: Built with keyboard navigation support and ARIA labels, ensuring the add-to-cart experience is accessible to all users including those using assistive technology.
Make Your Store Accessible Today
95.9% of home pages have detected WCAG 2 failures. EA Accessibility adds accessibility tools in one click that support your WCAG work — helping you reach shoppers in an $18.3 trillion market.
Browse All EA Apps (Free) →Sources
- Disability — WHO fact sheet (2023)
- Ageing and health — WHO fact sheet (2025)
- The Global Economics of Disability 2024 — The Return on Disability Group (2024)
- Disability Impacts All of Us — CDC (2026)
- The Purchasing Power of Working-Age Adults With Disabilities — American Institutes for Research (2026)
- Click-Away Pound Survey 2019 press release — Freeney Williams (2020)
- Federal Court Website Accessibility Lawsuit Filings Bounce Back in 2025 — Seyfarth Shaw via JD Supra (2026)
- Digital Accessibility Lawsuits Surge in 2025 — UsableNet (2025)
- The WebAIM Million: 2026 report — WebAIM (2026)
- AODA Non-Compliance Financial Penalties Overview — Bureau of Internet Accessibility (2021)
Frequently Asked Questions
How big is the disability market for ecommerce?
An estimated 1.3 billion people, or 16% of the global population, experience a significant disability (WHO, 2023). The Return on Disability Group puts the global disability market, including friends and family, at $18.3 trillion (2024). In the US, more than 1 in 4 adults have some type of disability (CDC), and working-age adults with disabilities hold a total disposable income of approximately $674.3 billion (AIR, 2026). Friends and family add another 2.9 billion people globally who are directly touched by disability (Return on Disability Group, 2024).
How many ADA website lawsuits are filed each year?
In 2025, plaintiffs filed 3,117 website accessibility lawsuits in US federal court — a 27% increase from 2,452 in 2024 (Seyfarth Shaw, 2026). New York federal courts were the busiest with 1,021 lawsuits, followed by Florida with 961. In UsableNet's first-half 2025 data, eCommerce remained the top target, representing 69% of lawsuits (UsableNet, 2025).
What percentage of websites are accessible?
WebAIM's 2026 analysis of the top one million home pages detected WCAG 2 failures on 95.9% of them, with an average of 56.1 errors per page. Low contrast text, the most common failure, was found on 83.9% of home pages. Shopify home pages averaged 75.1 detected errors, 33.9% more than the average home page (WebAIM Million, 2026).
Does web accessibility improve conversion rates?
It can. Accessibility best practices — clear navigation, readable text, keyboard functionality, descriptive labels — improve usability for everyone, not just those with disabilities. Inaccessible sites also lose sales: the UK Click-Away Pound Survey found that 69% of disabled online consumers will simply click away from websites they find difficult to use, and estimated that UK retailers could be missing out on £17.1 billion a year in online sales (Click-Away Pound, 2020).