How brands can make accessibility a bigger part of their customer strategy
In Australia, despite around one in six identifying as having a disability and many more considered vulnerable, fair accessibility of brand services remains a huge issue. Sam Richardson, director of executive engagement at Twilio, offers brands five tips on building accessibility into their customer experience, and explains why it’s a business imperative today.
Approximately 4.4 million people in Australia, or one in six, identify as having a disability.
Adding to this, a sizeable portion of the population, which includes seniors and individuals with low literacy levels, qualifies as vulnerable customers. Whether they are impacted by financial hardship, poor health, or a recent negative life event, these groups – made up of all kinds of ages and backgrounds – are regularly disadvantaged when trying to access everyday services.
Data from the latest Australian Digital Inclusion Index underscores this concern. It reveals that 9.4% of the population experiences significant exclusion from digital services. Certain demographics, particularly those over 75 and those who did not complete secondary school, face even greater challenges. For instance, the rise of bank branch closures disproportionately impacts vulnerable individuals in rural areas who may lack the financial resources or digital literacy to navigate online banking effectively.
As services in Australia become increasingly digitised, brands mustn’t forget the very premise of their existence – to serve their customers and the community. Consideration of accessibility of all customer groups must be a central consideration throughout the planning of customer experience journeys, and this has never been more important with AI hastening the path to automation. Here I’ll share five tips on building accessibility into your customer experience, and why it’s a business imperative today.
