Why accessible writing matters – and why professional services businesses should care
Some of the most useful writing lessons I've learned didn't come from journalism or copywriting. They came from writing customer web and app journeys for EDF Energy.
EDF had committed to meeting the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) accessibility standards. Writing in plain language and structuring content logically were vital for compliance.
But usability testing – watching real customers navigate real content in real time – showed me that accessible writing didn't just help people with disabilities. It helped everyone. When the writing wasn't clear enough, you could see the effect: users slowed down, reread and hesitated – and sometimes just gave up.
That experience taught me that accessibility isn't a compliance exercise. It's a writing discipline. And it applies just as much to professional services thought leadership as it does to a consumer web journey.
Accessibility is not a niche need
WCAG was created to make sure websites, apps and digital content were accessible and usable for people with disabilities. You might think that's a niche area. It isn't.
In the UK, one in four people report having a disability. This includes people with visible and invisible needs, permanent and temporary conditions, and everything in between.
More than two million people live with sight loss that affects their everyday life. One in three adults is deaf, has hearing loss or tinnitus. And around 1.2 million adults have a learning disability.
Accessible writing helps people who use screen readers or magnification software. It helps people who are deaf or hard of hearing, dyslexic and autistic people, and people who have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and cognitive differences.
But when I started learning from accessibility specialists, I realised it matters for a much broader range of people too. Accessible writing is important for older people experiencing age-related changes; anyone who is tired, stressed or distracted; and those reading on a small screen in poor light.
Accessible writing is not dumbing down
Accessible writing helps us all. For professional services firms, whose content is often complex and aimed at busy senior decision-makers, that's especially important.
Writing accessibly and writing well for a demanding audience are the same thing. Accessible writing will not make your content bland or simplistic. It will make it clear, structured and easy to read and act on.
Your readers are smart people who want your insight quickly and clearly. They do not have the time or inclination to decipher long sentences and abstract language.
The business case for accessibility is straightforward
Beyond the ethical case (which is reason enough), there is also a clear commercial argument for accessible writing.
According to a Financial Times survey, 73% of senior executives say poor-quality content can actively damage the reputation of the firm that produced it. If your content is hard to read, it's already working against you.
Poor accessibility creates friction. Friction creates drop-off and loss of trust. If your content is hard to read, people will leave. Many don’t come back. For professional services firms competing for the same clients, that's a risk you can’t afford.
Good accessible writing does the opposite. It helps people understand what you're telling them and feel confident in your firm. That's good for your readers. It's also good for your business.