We recently joined the Disability Dividend webinar organised by ImpactMatch, and it really got us thinking about how accessibility is still too often misunderstood, and, more importantly, underused as an opportunity. The webinar brought together C-suite leaders from major UK banks and insurers to focus on one practical question: how to turn disability inclusion into commercial progress and a board-level action.
Too often, accessibility is treated as a compliance task. Something to tick off at the end of a project. But the conversation in this session was very different. It focused on opportunity, responsibility, and the potential many organisations are still missing.
One comment that really stayed with us came from David Oldfield OBE, who said that accessibility should never be an afterthought, it needs to be built in from day one. It sounds obvious, but in practice that’s still not how many systems are designed.
And that’s exactly where the idea of the “Disability Dividend” comes into play.
It’s not just the right thing to do, it’s smart business
There was a clear message throughout the webinar: businesses are still underestimating the value of accessibility.
As Sara Weller CBE pointed out, accessibility isn’t just a moral obligation, it’s a commercial opportunity. Yet many organisations continue to overlook it.
Leigh Smyth FRSA put it very plainly: if your services aren’t accessible, you’re effectively choosing not to serve a significant group of people. When you look at it that way, it stops being just an inclusion issue, it becomes a growth issue.
Technology is part of the problem… and the solution
A big part of the discussion focused on the rapid growth of self-service technology, across retail, healthcare and public services, and how accessibility often struggles to keep pace.
James Tufts made an important point here: too many systems still rely on a single mode of interaction. If someone can’t use a touchscreen or see a display clearly, they’re immediately excluded.
We’re tackling this challenge every day making businesses aware that it’s not a minor issue; it fundamentally affects whether someone can use a service independently or has to rely on others.
This is about people, not just systems
What stood out most to us was the shift away from technology and back to real human impact.
Katie Worgan n highlighted how inaccessible systems affect confidence, independence and dignity. That’s especially critical in environments like healthcare, where people may already feel vulnerable.
In those situations, accessibility isn’t a “nice to have”. It’s essential.
So where do we go from here?
There’s no doubt that progress is being made, but there’s still a long way to go.
As Sara Weller, highlighted, compliance should be seen as the starting point, not the end goal. The organisations that will lead are the ones that go further, those that see accessibility as part of innovation, not a barrier to it.
And that’s probably the biggest takeaway for us.
Accessibility isn’t a constraint. It’s an opportunity to design better systems, reach more people, and create experiences that genuinely work in the real world.
This is something we feel strongly about here at Storm Interface. When accessibility is done properly, it doesn’t just include more people, it improves the experience for everyone.
That’s why we’ve developed a range of accessibility solutions tailored to ATMs and other self-service applications, designed to genuinely enhance usability for people with a wide range of disabilities. Because, quite simply, true inclusion is our top priority.