Takeaways and Recording from the BEDA Connect: Accessibility as a Business Opportunity
The BEDA Connect session on 10 September 2026, explored why accessibility should be viewed not as a compliance requirement, but as a strategic business opportunity. Moderated by Pia Betton, the discussion brought together Jeremy Hugh Aston, industrial designer, and Myles Igwebuike, designer researcher. All three contributors are experts from Glorious 42.
Accessibility is no longer just about compliance. It is one of the largest underserved markets for designers today. During the session, the speakers demonstrated how accessibility can drive business growth, strengthen client relationships, and lead to more resilient, longer-lasting products and services.
Watch the Session Recording
Missed the live discussion? Watch the full recording on YouTube: youtu.be/fgXuHcKeHp0
“Accessibility is not a limitation on creativity and it is not just a compliance exercise. Accessibility is a business opportunity.”
– Myles Igwebuike
Five Key Takeaways
1. The market is bigger than you think
Accessibility is not a niche market. Around 1.3 billion people worldwide live with a disability, while ageing populations and everyday challenges mean accessible design benefits far more people than many realise. Designing inclusively helps businesses reach broader audiences and unlock new market opportunities.
2. Shift from compliance to opportunity
Accessibility delivers the greatest value when it is built into a project from the start, not added as an afterthought. Positioning it to expand market reach, generate valuable user insights, and create reusable intellectual property helps clients see accessibility as a business opportunity rather than a compliance cost.
3. Fieldwork beats assumptions and AI can’t replace it
The most valuable accessibility insights come from observing real people in real contexts. While AI can support research, it cannot replace first-hand fieldwork, which reveals needs, behaviours, and opportunities that are often missed by desk research alone.
4. Design once, apply broadly
Accessibility frameworks developed for one project can often be adapted across sectors, increasing their long-term commercial value. Identifying and defining overlooked user needs also creates valuable tools, language, and methodologies that organisations can reuse.
5. Collaboration is the differentiator
The best accessibility solutions emerge from collaboration. Bringing together designers, engineers, technologists, and communities leads to stronger outcomes, broader expertise, and opportunities to tackle larger and more ambitious projects.
Download the Key Takeaways
Want a concise summary of the discussion?
Download the Key Takeaways from the BEDA website: beda.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/260910-takeawyas-beda-connect-accessibility.pdf
Food for Thought from the Room
The discussion also prompted broader reflection on the future of design practice:
- Should inclusive, co-designed practice be the strategic default for every project, rather than a special add-on for select briefs?
- Is pointing to a handful of well-known examples, such as large consumer brands, really evidence that inclusive design is easy to find, or should the sector be challenging itself to go further?
These questions underline a central message from the session: accessibility is not a specialist niche. It is a catalyst for innovation, better design, and sustainable business growth. As the speakers argued, organisations that embed inclusive thinking into their everyday practice will be best positioned to serve the needs of a rapidly changing society.
Next BEDA Connect from the accessibility series is on Thursday, 5 November 2026.
Read more and register now: beda.org/event/20261105-beda-connect-accessibility-secons-session/
Last updated: 18/09/26