What KPIs Can Measure Accessibility ROI? A Practical Guide

Accessibility matters — not just because the law says so, but because your users rely on it. The challenge? Proving its value in dollars, risk reduction, and growth.

The solution: trackable KPIs that actually show ROI. From error reduction to revenue impact, the right metrics make accessibility impossible to ignore. So, what KPIs can measure accessibility ROI? Let’s break it down.

Why Accessibility ROI Matters More than Ever

Gone are the days when accessibility was a “nice to have.” In today's highly digital world, accessibility is now business-critical  — and the stakes are higher than ever. 

Legal pressure is growing, and with it comes increased financial risk. At the same time, expanding accessibility opens your brand to a larger, often untapped customer base, creating real revenue opportunities. And data confirms that. According to experts, the disability community controls $2.6 trillion in disposable income(opens in a new tab), meaning there are plenty of revenue opportunities for businesses that make their online experiences accessible. 

On top of this, leadership teams are asking for quantifiable metrics more than ever. Accessibility isn’t just about compliance — it’s about demonstrating tangible impact. Measuring ROI now positions your organization as proactive, not reactive, and shows that accessibility is an investment in growth, performance, and risk management.

A stylized web browser that has different parts of the page highlighted for accessibility errors and a pop-up window that displays a score of '92' and a button that says 'Fix Now'.

The Core KPIs that Measure Accessibility ROI

Here’s the bottom line: Measuring accessibility can’t be just about ticking boxes. You have to show real, business-critical impact, and the right KPIs make ROI tangible, showing leadership exactly how accessibility drives performance, reduces risk, and boosts revenue. 

Here are a few core metrics to track; 

1. Number of Accessibility Errors

One of the most straightforward KPIs is tracking accessibility errors over time. Conducting regular accessibility audits reveals where accessibility errors exist in your content, while ongoing monitoring demonstrates how you’re addressing those barriers. Mapping fixes to site performance improvements highlights the direct value of making those fixes. Plus, a site that continually fixes accessibility issues not only becomes safer legally but also more user-friendly — a win-win.

2. Conversion Rate Improvements

Enhancing your site’s accessibility isn’t just about compliance — it directly affects your bottom line. Accessible design removes friction for all users, not just those with disabilities. For instance, simplifying a checkout process for screen reader users can eliminate confusing forms, missing labels, or unclear navigation — changes that also reduce abandoned carts for every customer. 

Similarly, making content easier to read and navigate can boost newsletter sign-ups, demo requests, or downloads across the board. And tracking these improvements is critical: without measuring conversions linked to accessibility enhancements, you’re leaving revenue — and valuable insights — on the table.

3. Audience Reach

Globally, more than 1.3 billion people have a disability(opens in a new tab) — an enormous, frequently underserved market. Accessible experiences open your digital doors to this audience, unlocking an entirely new customer base. Track organic traffic and new users after accessibility improvements, and pay attention to SEO rankings, since adding semantic HTML can boost visibility. These metrics give leadership concrete insight into just how important the disability community is to your growth.

4. Legal Risk Exposure 

Accessibility isn’t just good for growth — it’s a shield against risk. ADA website lawsuits are rising year over year, with settlements often costing thousands. By tracking accessibility fixes and improvements, you can quantify the risk you’ve mitigated, demonstrating to leadership the financial value of proactive compliance. Measuring this KPI helps position accessibility as a smart, preventive investment, not just a requirement.

5. User Experience Metrics

Accessibility improvements enhance overall UX, which benefits everyone. When users can navigate easily, read content clearly, and complete tasks without frustration, you’ll see measurable gains: lower bounce rates, longer sessions, deeper scrolls, and higher task completion. These metrics also provide actionable insight for product, UX, and marketing teams, proving that accessibility is a lever for performance — not just compliance.

6. Cost Savings from Lower Manual Fixes

Fixing accessibility issues on your own can be helpful in some situations (e.g., after an expert audit has been conducted and uncovered barriers that automation alone can’t catch). However, this can get expensive and time-consuming.

Supplementing hands-on fixes with automated accessibility testing tools can reduce repeat dev work, ensure consistent updates, and prevent future errors. For example, organizations that track fix hours before and after automation often see a 30–50% reduction in time spent fixing accessibility errors, resulting in tangible savings. Tools like AudioEye’s Accessibility Calculator can help you estimate those ongoing savings, giving leadership tangible proof that accessibility is an investment that pays for itself.

7. Support Costs

Accessible websites reduce frustration and confusion for users, which leads to fewer support tickets and lower escalation rates. For instance, forms that are properly labeled, navigation that’s keyboard-friendly, and clear error messages all prevent common user mistakes. By tracking support ticket volume before and after accessibility improvements, organizations often notice a noticeable decrease in accessibility-related inquiries, which reduces support costs and frees their team to focus on higher-value work. Measuring these metrics gives leadership a concrete operational ROI tied directly to accessibility.

8. Productivity Gains for Content and Dev Teams

Accessibility-first workflows streamline the process of creating and publishing content. When headings, ARIA labels, and semantic HTML are consistently used, content creators spend less time reworking pages, and developers spend less time troubleshooting errors. Tracking productivity metrics — such as the number of pages published per week, the average time spent fixing accessibility bugs, or the reduction in rework hours — demonstrates measurable efficiency gains.

9. Revenue Uplift 

Bottom line: accessible experience can directly drive revenue growth. Pages that are easier to navigate, forms that are simpler to complete, and clearer content all improve conversions. E-commerce sites, for example, often experience reduced cart abandonment and higher average order values after accessibility updates, while lead-generation sites report increased demo requests or newsletter sign-ups.

Additionally, semantic HTML and properly structured content improve SEO rankings, attracting new organic traffic. Tracking revenue-related metrics alongside accessibility KPIs demonstrates a clear financial return, reinforcing that accessibility is a powerful revenue engine.

Common Mistakes that Hurt Accessibility ROI

Even if you are tracking the right KPIs, there are some missteps to be aware of, as they can mask the true value of accessibility and make it more difficult to show ROI. Avoiding these common mistakes ensures your metrics tell a full, accurate story and demonstrate the real business impact of accessibility. 

• Tracking too many metrics: Spreading focus across dozens of data points dilutes the story. Focus on KPIs that clearly show ROI.

• Only focusing on compliance: Accessibility is more than avoiding legal risk. Measure performance, conversions, and user experience too.

• Looking at accessibility as a one-time project: Treating accessibility as a one-time fix misses the ongoing improvements that drive long-term ROI.

• Not including real users with disabilities in testing: Real insights come from real users. Without their input, metrics can misrepresent the experience.

• Depending on one-off accessibility audits: A single audit is a snapshot, not a strategy. Continuous measurement ensures sustained progress and ROI.

Open laptop showing a checklist with items checked or crossed out with a purple gear shaft with the accessibility symbol at the top. Various design icons surround the laptop.

How to Build an Accessibility KPI Dashboard

Once you’ve identified the right KPIs and avoided common pitfalls, the next step is making your progress visible. A well-structured accessibility KPI dashboard turns raw data into a clear story, helping to showcase exactly how accessibility impacts performance, revenue, and risk. More simply, it’s where measurement meets action and where the ROI of accessibility becomes undeniable,

Start by determining what metrics you want to measure on a weekly versus a monthly basis. Weekly metrics are best for tracking immediate performance and quick wins, including accessibility error counts, broken links, or form completion rates. These can show short-term progress and help your team catch issues before they hit your users.

Monthly metrics, on the other hand, give a bigger picture view of ROI. Look at trends in conversions, session duration, bounce rate, organic traffic, and user feedback from surveys or usability tests. This lets higher-ups see tangible improvements in both user experience and business outcomes over time. 

Alongside your dashboard, you’ll need to have the right tools in place, both from a tracking perspective and an accessibility one. For example, use Google Analytics or SEM Rush to gather user data alongside tools like AudioEye to find and fix accessibility issues. Combine these with qualitative feedback — think surveys, user interviews, or testing sessions with people with disabilities — to capture insights that numbers can’t show.

Pairing quantitative metrics with real user experiences gives your dashboard credibility and tells the full story of how accessibility is impacting your organization.

How to Calculate Accessibility ROI (with Real Numbers)

So, what does accessibility ROI look like in a real scenario? Imagine you’re a mid-sized e-commerce site with approximately 50,000 monthly visitors and an average order value of $200. Your site has common accessibility issues, such as incomplete form labels, inconsistent heading structure, and a checkout process that’s inaccessible for assistive technology users.

Here’s how you could calculate accessibility ROI:

• Manual fix savings: By implementing automated accessibility tools, you reduce the number of manual fixes by 100 hours per month, saving roughly $8,200 in developer costs. 

• Legal risk avoided: Successfully addressing common accessibility issues enables you to avoid $15,000-$25,000 in accessibility settlement costs.

• Conversion lift: Simplifying your checkout process and fixing form labels increases your conversion rate by approximately 5%, translating to roughly $50,000 in additional monthly revenue.

• Expanded reach: Opening your site to an additional 26% of internet users creates a new revenue channel while improving your brand reputation and customer loyalty. 

These numbers make it clear: accessibility isn’t just about compliance — it’s a measurable investment in revenue, risk reduction, and user experience. By tracking improvements in fix time, conversions, legal risk, and audience reach, you can show leadership the real impact.

Want to see your own potential ROI? Use AudioEye’s Accessibility Calculator to plug in your numbers and watch the benefits add up.

Prove ROI and Unlock Value with Accessibility Powered by AudioEye

Every missed fix or ignored barrier costs revenue, limits your audience, and exposes your organization to legal risk. By tracking the right KPIs, you can prove to leadership how digital accessibility drives conversions, unlocks new customers, cuts costs, and protects your brand — making it a business-critical investment.

And now, calculating that ROI is easier than ever. Tools like AudioEye’s Accessibility Calculator make it simple to see the impact in real dollars. Pair those insights with the powerful automation and expert testing included in AudioEye’s Accessibility Platform, and you’ll have everything needed to drive measurable ROI, protect your brand, and make accessibility a strategic advantage.

Want to take it a step further? Schedule a demo to see how AudioEye can help you unlock these savings and drive measurable results across your organization.