Q & A with Gabby Giffords: Digital Accessibility Matters for Business and Beyond

Former Congresswoman Gabby Giffords has dedicated her life to public service and advocacy. After surviving a shooting in 2011 that resulted in a traumatic brain injury and aphasia, she has become a powerful voice for gun violence prevention and disability rights. As a partner with AudioEye, she's bringing that same determination to the fight for digital accessibility.

Q: What drew you to partner with AudioEye on digital accessibility?

Gabby Giffords: After my injury, I had to relearn how to walk, talk, and navigate the world in completely new ways. The digital world became both a lifeline and a barrier. When technology works for people with disabilities, it opens doors to independence, connection, and opportunity. But when it doesn't, it shuts people out and can compound isolation. AudioEye's mission to make the internet accessible to everyone aligns with everything I believe about inclusion and civil rights. Everyone deserves equal access to information, services, and opportunity online.

Q: How has your personal experience shaped your perspective on digital accessibility?

GG: Living with aphasia and the lasting effects of a traumatic brain injury has given me insight into everyday accessibility challenges. Simple things that many people take for granted, such as reading quickly and navigating cluttered websites, can sometimes be a significant barrier to the online world for many of us. I've experienced firsthand how poor design choices can exclude people with disabilities from participating fully in digital spaces.

But I've also seen the power of good accessibility. Screen readers, captioning, clear navigation, and simplified language options. These features help people with disabilities and make the internet better for everyone. That's what businesses need to understand: accessibility is good design, period.

Q: You've worked extensively on gun violence prevention. How does digital accessibility connect to supporting survivors of firearm violence?

GG: This connection is deeply personal to me. Every year, more than 100,000 people in America are shot and survive. Many of us, like me, acquire disabilities from these injuries. People face traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, vision and hearing loss, PTSD, and other challenges. Our recovery journeys often depend on our ability to access healthcare information, connect with support services, apply for benefits, and find employment opportunities, all of which increasingly happen online.

When websites are inaccessible, we create additional challenges for survivors. They've already faced trauma. They shouldn't then be locked out of the digital resources they need to rebuild their lives. Digital accessibility isn't a “nice-to-have” feature; it's essential infrastructure for recovery and reintegration.

The same is true for veterans with service-related disabilities, accident survivors, stroke patients, and anyone with a disability. We're talking about millions of people who need accessible technology to maintain their independence and dignity.

Q: What do you wish more business leaders understood about the disability community?

GG: First, many customers have disabilities. One in four Americans has a disability. That's 70 million people with tremendous purchasing power, over $490 billion in disposable income. When a website isn't accessible, it is literally turning away customers and revenue.

Second, many employees have disabilities. Companies that prioritize accessibility tap into an incredible talent pool. People with disabilities bring unique perspectives, problem-solving skills, and resilience. But if your digital workplace tools and internal systems aren't accessible, you can't recruit or retain folks effectively.

Third, disabled people aren’t asking for special treatment. We're asking for equal access to what everyone else already has. Accessibility is about removing barriers, not creating advantages. It's a civil rights issue.

Q: Many executives see accessibility as a compliance checkbox. How would you reframe it?

GG: Compliance is the floor, not the ceiling. Yes, you need to meet legal requirements, but if companies are only thinking about compliance, they’re missing a bigger opportunity.

Think about accessibility as a business strategy. It drives innovation because designing for constraints makes products better for everyone. The curb cut is a classic example: designed for wheelchairs, but used by parents with strollers, travelers with luggage, delivery workers, everyone benefits.

Digital accessibility works the same way. Captions help people in loud or quiet environments. Clear navigation helps people in a hurry. Simple language helps people with cognitive disabilities, but also people whose first language isn't English. Good accessibility is good user experience.

Q: What gives you hope about the future of digital accessibility?

GG: I see more companies recognizing that accessibility isn't optional, it's essential. Technology leaders are building accessibility into their products from the start, not just adding it on later. Younger generations of designers and developers are being trained in accessible design principles. And importantly, people with disabilities are increasingly at the table, leading these conversations rather than being talked about.

I also see momentum in the policy space. The conversation has shifted from whether websites need to be accessible to how quickly companies can get there. That's progress.

But there’s more to do. Every day that websites remain inaccessible, people with disabilities are excluded from participation in digital society. Business leaders have both the opportunity and the responsibility to be part of the solution.

Q: What's your message to companies just beginning their accessibility journey?

GG: Start now. Don't wait for perfection; progress matters more. Partner with experts like AudioEye, who can guide companies through the technical and strategic aspects. Listen to people with disabilities and include them in design and testing processes. 

Most importantly, understand that accessibility is a commitment, not a project. It requires ongoing attention, training, and culture change. But it's worth it. When you make your digital presence accessible, you're affirming that everyone belongs, everyone matters, and everyone deserves equal opportunity to participate.

That's the kind of leadership our world needs. And that's why I'm proud to partner with AudioEye in this mission.

Key Statistics

• 70 million Americans have a disability (1 in 4 people)

• $490 billion in disposable income in the disability community

• 100,000+ people survive gunshot wounds annually in the US, many acquiring disabilities

• 3x increase in website accessibility lawsuits over the past five years

• 71% of users with disabilities will leave a website that's difficult to use