Accessibility matters because a lot of people, more than one billion worldwide, live with some form of disability. When services, websites, and information are not accessible, many people are left out and can’t use or benefit from them.
When you make content accessible, more people can use it. That includes people with disabilities, but it also helps:
Using simple words, reducing unusual terms, and avoiding too many acronyms make content easier for everyone to read and understand.
Digital accessibility should not be just a "nice to have" but a "must-have" since it's about the quality of life for real people.[Unhandled node type: linebreak]- Carie Fisher in the edX course Introduction to Web Accessibility
Laws in some places require certain organisations to make their services accessible. For example, in Finland, there are specific accessibility requirements, and those are the minimum standard everyone should aim for.
Meeting the legal minimum is important, but accessibility should be seen as a goal to exceed, not just a box to tick.
It’s easier and cheaper to include accessibility from the start of a project than to try to fix accessibility problems later. Planning helps avoid costly redesigns or redevelopment down the line.
That said, if your content or product already exists, you can still improve accessibility step by step. Even small changes make a difference, and you don’t have to wait to be perfect before starting.