Step 2: Convince the Stakeholders
This is where most accessibility efforts die. The team knows accessibility matters, but leadership will not prioritize it over feature work. Agnieszka laid out four arguments that work in the real world, each targeting a different type of stakeholder concern.
The Regulatory Argument
The European Accessibility Act (EAA) started enforcement in 2025, with a transition period running until 2030 for pre-existing software. This is not hypothetical future regulation. It is law. The EAA covers specific sectors: e-commerce, banking, telephony, audiovisual media, and public transportation. In the United States, the ADA already carries fines of $20,000 to $75,000 for a first violation and up to $150,000 for subsequent violations. The EU's EAA allows fines up to EUR 200,000.
The Lawsuit Argument
Agnieszka shared concrete legal precedents that make the risk tangible. De Lijn was found guilty of discriminating against wheelchair users. Netflix settled a closed-captioning lawsuit for $755,000. These are not edge cases. Private accessibility lawsuits have become a consistent and growing area of litigation.
The Direct Business Value Argument
Beyond compliance and risk avoidance, there is actual business to be won. Agnieszka shared feedback from Sales, Customer Success, and NPS data showing that leads were explicitly asking about accessibility. That is revenue walking out the door if the answer is no. She also made the math concrete: colour blindness affects roughly 4.5 percent of the world population. For Teamleader Focus, that translates to approximately 2,554 users who may be struggling with the interface right now.
The Situational Disability Argument
Not all disability is permanent. Holding documents in one hand, carrying a coffee, working in a bright room that washes out a screen, or trying to use a phone in a loud environment. Situational disability affects everyone at some point. Agnieszka shared user feedback showing that accessibility improvements like better hover states and icon labels benefit all users, not just those with permanent impairments. This argument resonates with stakeholders who struggle to quantify the addressable market for accessibility.
warningFines and Lawsuits: The Numbers
USA ADA: $20K-$75K for first violation, $150K for subsequent. EU EAA: up to EUR 200K. De Lijn: found guilty of wheelchair discrimination. Netflix caption settlement: $755K. These numbers tend to get stakeholder attention faster than moral arguments.
