Accessibility: Expanding Opportunity. Accelerating Impact.

Foundation House
Jul 14
4 min read

Updated: Jul 15

Greenwich, CT - July 10, 2026

A man with blonde hair sits on a high metal stool inside a rustic room, speaking into a microphone with a hand gesture. To his right, a large flat-screen monitor displays a slide titled "Disability: A Global Opportunity," showcasing data points: "1.8B Global Population," "$8T Annual Disposable Income," and "$65B Market Growth."

This blog post reflects discussions held under the Chatham House Rule. While the ideas and information shared are presented here, the identities and affiliations of contributors have been kept confidential to encourage open dialogue.

New to disability-inclusive language and framing? Before the convening, participants received a brief primer from Cara Yar Khan, Founder & CEO of The Purple Practice. It introduces key disability models, inclusive language principles, and the evolving disability investing landscape across ESG and impact investing, a helpful foundation for the insights below.

INTRODUCTION: Accessibility

More than one billion people around the world live with a disability. Add aging populations and caregivers, and this community represents one of the largest, fastest growing, and most underserved segments in the global economy. Yet one reality framed the conversation at Foundation House on July 10: too many products, workplaces, technologies, services, and capital systems are still not designed with accessibility in mind.

Leaders from philanthropy, finance, business, technology, nonprofits, and the disability community came together around a shared belief: accessibility is not simply an accommodation or compliance requirement, it is an opportunity to build stronger organizations, more innovative products, more resilient communities, and a more inclusive economy.

When accessibility is embedded from the beginning, everyone benefits. Inclusive design expands markets, strengthens innovation, improves user experiences, and creates pathways for greater participation and economic opportunity.

The setting itself reflected that commitment. Foundation House is intentionally evolving into a place where environmental, social, mental health, and disability inclusion intersect. Live captioning, interpretation, and improvements to the physical environment were not viewed as optional accommodations, they were recognized as essential infrastructure for meaningful participation.

IMPACT: Key Takeaways

Several themes emerged throughout the day.

Accessibility is a growth opportunity. Disability, together with aging populations and caregivers, represents enormous and enduring economic potential. Yet inaccessible products, services, workplaces, and public spaces continue to create unnecessary barriers and economic leakage, preventing millions of people from fully participating as consumers, employees, entrepreneurs, investors, and community members.

Inclusive design creates better outcomes for everyone. The strongest products are designed with disabled people, not simply for them. Participants shared examples of accessible technologies and workplace practices that ultimately improved experiences for all users. Whether navigating noisy environments, low-light conditions, or stressful situations, accessibility often becomes universal usability.

One recent study of 50 leading mobile applications found that nearly 72% failed at least one critical step in a basic user journey, illustrating both the scale of the challenge and the opportunity for innovation.

Progress before perfection. Organizations frequently delay accessibility efforts because they fear making mistakes. The conversation repeatedly returned to a different mindset: start, learn, improve, and iterate. Authentic engagement with disabled communities matters far more than waiting for a perfect solution.

Capital can accelerate change. Philanthropy, donor-advised funds, impact investing, venture capital, and blended finance all have important roles to play in scaling disability innovation. Beyond funding, participants emphasized the importance of technical assistance, ecosystem building, storytelling, and stronger networks connecting entrepreneurs, investors, and institutions.

INITIATIVES: Opportunities for Action

Throughout the morning, participants identified practical ways organizations and investors can accelerate progress.

Organizations were encouraged to treat accessibility as a core design principle rather than a compliance exercise: building accessibility into budgets, procurement, technology, communications, events, and product development from the outset. For a practical starting point, Microsoft's accessibility resources offer concrete tools and standards. Nonprofits building out their own digital accessibility can start with Microsoft's guide for nonprofits.

Participants also called for stronger measurement and transparency. Accessibility audits, benchmarking, and public reporting help identify barriers while creating accountability and accelerating learning across sectors.

For investors and philanthropists, the opportunity extends beyond deploying capital. Building stronger pipelines of disability-led enterprises, supporting intermediaries, expanding technical assistance, and strengthening the broader ecosystem will help more capital reach high-impact opportunities.

Finally, storytelling emerged as an essential catalyst. Shifting the narrative from charity to innovation, leadership, and opportunity is critical to changing how accessibility is understood and prioritized.

Where We Go From Here

Accessibility is not a side initiative. It is a foundation for stronger communities, broader participation, and more resilient systems.

A few ways to begin:

Audit one product, program, or event through an accessibility lens.
Include accessibility as a dedicated line item in your next budget.
Read and share Cara Yar Khan's essay Disability Inclusion Is Not Charity. It's Discipline..
Invite disabled leaders, advisors, or users into decision-making processes from the beginning, not simply to review work after it is complete.

Accessibility is not an add-on. It is infrastructure for innovation, opportunity, and impact.

Participating speakers included: