People with a Disability: Misunderstanding #2

This market is way too small!

People with disabilities are not an interesting market? Because no wheelchair user has been in your company for years? Or you have never met a blind person, who could not read your information? Well, this is often due to the fact, that these people cannot take advantage of your offer. Because it is simply not accessible due to their disability.

A classic chicken-and-egg problem? Well, if you want to address a new target group, you have to create the right offer in advance. And the market for barrier-free products and services is huge!

Because:

Almost 15% of the EU population have a disability!

Remember: 15% of the population is a larger group than alpine skiers, vegans or people with dogs. Nevertheless, companies spend more marketing dollars on these groups, create more offers, and provide more services, than to people with a disability.

Figures on people with disabilities are only the tip of the iceberg: they include only people, whose disability is officially recorded. People with a temporary disability, such as a broken leg, limited mobility after surgery or temporary hearing loss, are not included in these figures. The same applies to people whose mobility and senses deteriorate due to age. And this is a target group that is growing very rapidly!

According to the Eurostat report, by 2015 one in four people in the EU already suffered from long-term limitations in everyday activities.

Market for accessible services is 40 – 50 % of the EU population!

Because what about:

the 65+ generation, who would prefer larger type, simpler devices, spacious level showers and easy-to-open packaging?
people with dyslexia or other reading disabilities, who prefer to receive information in plain language or audible format?
families with toddlers who would love threshold- and stepless entrances or hiking trails accessible with prams?
teenagers, who find video and audio much cooler than reading?