Research reveals that nearly half of UK businesses could be excluding disabled people online
Nearly half of UK websites need accessibility improvements in 2026 otherwise they could risk excluding visitors with disabilities, according to new research.
Travel and tourism companies have the worst online accessibility, with more than three quarters of websites needing improvement.
The State of Accessibility Report by brand communications agency Warbox analysed Google’s Accessibility Scores for more than 1,200 UK websites across 14 sectors to reveal those that need the most improvement – and which are digitally inclusive.
Following travel websites, hospitality companies have the second worst online accessibility with 70 per cent of websites needing improvement.
Anything from small font sizes to low colour contrast could prevent some website users from buying products or accessing critical services.
The research comes as 80 per cent of UK adults with disabilities say they feel excluded by poor website accessibility and believe brands are missing out on millions of pounds worth of sales as a result.
Although a smooth user journey is critical to generating sales, 64 per cent of fashion websites need accessibility improvements, compared to 63 per cent in the wider retail sector.
Legal companies also rank poorly, despite often dealing with people in vulnerable situations, including disabled clients.
The research also uncovered the sectors with the best website accessibility.
Councils have the most accessible websites in the UK with just eight per cent needing improvement, likely because they are legally required to adhere to WCAG standards.
GP surgeries had the second most accessible websites (23%), followed by utility providers (26%), charities (39%) and employment websites (41%).
Mark Fensom, director at Warbox, comments: “The Website Content Accessibility Guidelines were published over 25 years ago, yet many brands are still struggling to provide an inclusive online experience. As more businesses shift to ecommerce and the search landscape evolves, accessibility is even more important to reaching customers and creating memorable, positive experiences.
“Creating an accessible website doesn’t have to be expensive and it should be built-in from the start. Some simple changes like adding image and video descriptions, making sure buttons are easy to spot and forms have the right labels, are a good place to start. A web developer can handle the technical side but ultimately, it’s a brand’s duty to champion website accessibility for their customers.”
