Accessibility Isn’t Optional: The Big Themes from GAIN’s Virtua11y Event

By Nikki Taylor, GAIN Experience

Accessibility is fast becoming a boardroom issue. This is not only because creating genuinely inclusive cultures is the right thing to do, but because failing to do so represents a huge missed opportunity.

Last week we brought together leading industry figures for Virtua11y: At The Table, our flagship inclusive and accessible design event, co-sponsored by Acquia. The day united our network of inclusive designers, accessibility champions, senior leaders and practitioners across marketing, design and technology.

With the EU Accessibility Act (2025) and FCA Consumer Duty setting higher standards for digital accessibility, the conversation is shifting in a noticeable way. Organisations are moving from a mindset of compliance and box-ticking to one focused on culture, awareness and long-term change.

The commercial case is equally strong. The purple pound, which refers to the spending power of disabled people and their households, is valued at £446 billion a year in the UK and more than $18 trillion globally (2025 Purple Tuesday). Despite this, companies still lose an estimated £2 billion every month because digital products and services remain inaccessible to many users.

Virtua11y: At The Table explored these themes in depth, highlighting lived experience, practical strategies and organisational approaches for designing accessible experiences at scale.

Lived experience and everyday barriers

The event opened with Lars Holm Sørensen, Accessibility Expert at Acquia, who spoke candidly about the challenges he faces as a blind person. He highlighted barriers that are still far too common, including inaccessible websites, transport systems that are difficult to navigate and products that are simply not designed with everyone in mind.

He referenced research showing that 69 per cent of disabled users will leave a website if it is not accessible, which costs UK businesses an estimated £17 billion a year.

Lars also pointed to the commercial value of inclusion. As he explained, families that include at least one disabled person have a combined spending power of £446 billion in the UK alone.

Building accessibility into culture and governance

Zoe Coles, former Accessibility Lead at Hargreaves Lansdown, shared her seven-year journey of building accessibility capability within the organisation. Early work focused on driving awareness and establishing a baseline understanding. Over time, this matured into a governance-led approach shaped by evolving legislation.

Zoe described the introduction of FCA Consumer Duty in July 2023 as a major turning point. The regulation sets higher standards for consumer protection and requires financial services firms to put customer needs first.

“It was transformative. Suddenly there was a drastic spike in interest in the need to deliver and understand accessibility,” she said.

She also stressed that while legislation is a powerful driver, relying on it alone can turn accessibility into a compliance exercise rather than the mindset shift organisations actually need.

How P&G embeds accessibility in global product design

Paul Gallagher, Procter & Gamble’s Global Accessibility Lead, explained how accessibility has become central to the company’s approach across 70 brands worldwide.

At P&G, inclusive design contributes to what they call their “vectors of superiority.” Paul explained that when a product is accessible, it is more likely to be a superior product overall, which benefits the consumer and, ultimately, the shareholder.

He emphasised that accessibility should be part of everyone’s role.

“Whether you are a brand manager in Thailand working on Head & Shoulders or part of the team in Cincinnati, accessibility should be part of your daily work,” he said.

Paul also discussed the use of NaviLens, a system that uses a scannable code to provide accessible packaging information for blind and partially sighted people. The company is also increasing its use of audio description across advertising.

“We are not perfect, but we really are making huge progress on this,” he added.

AI can help or hinder accessibility

Alastair Campbell, GAIN Director of Accessibility and Co-Chair of the Accessibility Guidelines Working Group, explored how artificial intelligence could support accessibility but also where it poses risks.

He referenced a lesson from his early days studying computer science: “garbage in, garbage out.” AI models are often trained on websites that are themselves inaccessible. This means that accessibility barriers can easily be reproduced at scale.

Alastair also highlighted the potential for AI to level the playing field by providing more personalised and adaptive support for disabled users.

Looking ahead

As organisations plan for 2026, the message from Virtua11y: At The Table is clear. Accessibility is more than a legal requirement. It is a driver of customer experience, brand trust and long-term business success.

Three key takeaways from Virtua11y 2025

1. Leadership matters

Companies struggle when there is no clear ownership or accountability.“Accessibility will cost time and resources. If people do not know they are responsible for it, the work will not happen,” said Lars Holm Sørensen.

2. Accessibility must be shared across the organisation

Success requires everyone to play a part, supported by KPIs, quotas and clear reporting, said Zoe Coles.

3. Progress requires an end-to-end mindset

Accessibility works best when it is embedded in every stage of the journey.“It is best to think end-to-end. You cannot do everything at once, but you can keep moving forward,” said Paul Gallagher.