**3.2 Demographic dynamics of disabled persons in relation to financial capacity and market implications**

To discuss the market implications, we start with another external (non-US) view by reviewing UK, a comparative economy to USA. The UN-DESA factsheet on persons with disabilities shows that 75% of the companies on the Financial Times Stock Exchange (FTSE) 100 Index, miss out on more that \$147 million in revenue. The loss is due to their lack of basic levels of web accessibility. Their e-business services are largely inaccessible [47]. To further support our argument, the UK 2019 Click-Away Pound Report, shows that 69% of website visitors with disabilities, will leave a website, once they experience inaccessibility. In their telecom sector, about 92% of persons with access needs, will not contact the website owners about their experience. As such it may seem that there are no accessibility problems on a website, while the people who click away, move on to more accessible sites and spend their money [48]. Such is the nature of direct loss of market share and business opportunity, due to lack of accessibility. Within the US context, it is important to note that 15% of the economic decision makers (those aged 18 years and above) have a disability. See **Figure 2**.

If they do not have access to desired e-services, it translates to missing out on 15% of 18–34, 35–64, 65–74, and above 75 age ranges, and the funds they control. Furthermore, among this 15%, the greater proportion is made up of people who will access the internet on their own, apart from those who have self-care and independent living difficulties. See **Figure 3**.

Results of the "Hidden Market" research by [49], shows that the total disposable income for working-age people (18–64) with disabilities in the US, is about

**Figure 2.** *Economic decision makers with a disability by age group (derived from [46]).*

**Figure 3.** *Economic decision makers with disability by type (derived from [46]).*

\$490 billion. Though it is only 7.2% of the disposable income of people without disabilities (\$6,787 billion), it remains substantial. It is closer to the total disposable income of other market segments including African Americans (\$501 billion) and Hispanics (\$582 billion) [49]. This comparison highlights the appreciable nature of the disabled persons' market share.

At a deeper level, research by [50], shows that by 2030, the last of the baby boomer generation would be older than 65 years. With a population of 69.56 million, baby boomers constitute the second largest population group in the US. Due to the positive aging–disability correlation, as they transit to 65 years and above, their rate of disability will increase, thereby increasing the total proportion of people with disabilities. Baby boomers fall within the population sub-group known as 'Silver Economy', those aged 60 and above [50].

Research by World Data Lab in 2020, shows that within the US, the sliver economy population, currently have a spending power of \$3.4 trillion. Their wealth control is expected to grow to \$4.4 trillion in the next 10 years [51]. The silver economy falls within the age group that experiences rapid increases in the rate at which disabilities progress, as shown in **Figure 1**. They have greater financial control and greater occurrence of disability at the same time. It means that they have more accessibility needs, more spending power, and more capacity to make economic decisions quickly. Furthermore, the implications of the current COVID-19 lockdowns and restrictions for this population sub-group will keep them appreciably indoors, for health reasons. They will need to access more services online than before. Moreover, most services have gone 'e' since the COVID-19 pandemic, making it imperative that more people will need accessible e-services. Since members of the silver economy control a substantial financial base, and are at home, they will have appreciable need for online purchasing and client services. This makes accessibility experience design imperative for accessing the market they represent.

#### **3.3 User experience analysis and its implications for business opportunity**

With the analysis and discussion thus far, there is an appreciable population of disabled persons who control substantial amount of the money within the US economy. To explore their user experience, it is important to highlight an outlying population, which is not usually addressed in accessibility studies. We refer to the population working remotely and online. They are better understood through their experience, and the types of access needs they have.

*Accessibility Experience Design (AxD): A Bi-directional Accessibility Perspective for e-Business… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.97488*
