An estimated 1.3 billion people, or 16% of the world population, experience significant disability, and 194 parties have joined the UN disability rights convention.
Why this market is moving now
- The share of top home pages with detected WCAG 2 failures rose to 95.9% in February 2026, from 94.8% in 2025.
- Detected errors per home page rose 10.1% in one year to an average of 56.1 in 2026.
- As of 9 November 2026, 194 parties had joined the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
Key figures
Global figures for this market, with the year each one describes. Use Cite to copy a reference to this page.
| Figure | Value | Year | Cite |
|---|---|---|---|
| 95.9% of the top one million home pages worldwide had detected WCAG 2 accessibility failures in February 2026, up from 94.8% in 2025. | 95.9 % | 2026 | |
| The top one million home pages worldwide had an average of 56.1 detected accessibility errors per page in February 2026, up 10.1% on 2025. | 56.1 errors per page | 2026 | |
| Low contrast text was found on 83.9% of the top one million home pages in 2026, up from 79.1% in 2025, making it the most common detected issue. | 83.9 % | 2026 | |
| 82.7% of the top one million home pages used ARIA code in 2026, up from 79.4% in 2025, and pages with ARIA had more detected errors on average. | 82.7 % | 2026 | |
| An estimated 1.3 billion people, or 16% of the world population, experience significant disability. | 1.3 billion people | 2023 | |
| At least 2.2 billion people worldwide have a near or distance vision impairment. | 2.2 billion people | 2026 | |
| Over 5% of the world population, or 430 million people, need rehabilitation for disabling hearing loss. | 430 million people | 2026 | |
| More than 2.5 billion people worldwide need one or more assistive products. | 2.5 billion people | 2024 | |
| The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities had 194 parties and 164 signatories on 9 November 2026. | 194 parties | 2026 | |
| AudioEye, a digital accessibility software company, reported record quarterly revenue of USD 11.0 million in the third quarter of 2026, up 7% year on year. | 11.0 USD million | 2026 |
Calculated figures (shares, changes and prices per kilogram) are plain arithmetic on the reported values. Read how we work.
Companies to watch
AudioEye
Digital accessibility software company with record third quarter 2026 revenue of USD 11.0 million.
Level Access
Provides digital accessibility software and services to make websites, mobile apps and software accessible and legally compliant (
Deque Systems
Makes the axe accessibility testing tools, including automated testing for web and mobile apps (
What the full report covers
- 01Executive summary
The answer in one page: size, direction and what moves it - 02Market definition and scope
What is in and out of the global market - 03Global market size, 2021 to 2025
Historical series and growth rates - 04Countries and regions
Demand, supply and trade by country and region - 05Outlook to 2031
Base, low and high scenarios with stated assumptions - 06Rules, policy and deadlines
Regulation and programmes that change demand - 07Drivers and barriers
What accelerates or slows adoption, by customer segment - 08Prices, costs and margins
Unit economics where public data allows - 09Competitive landscape
8 to 12 company profiles with recent moves - 10Opportunities and risks
For new entrants, suppliers and investors - 11Method and assumptions
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Frequently asked questions
How many people need digital accessibility worldwide?
An estimated 1.3 billion people, or 16% of the world population, experience significant disability. At least 2.2 billion people have a vision impairment and 430 million need rehabilitation for disabling hearing loss.
How accessible are the world's websites?
In February 2026, 95.9% of the top one million home pages had detected WCAG 2 failures, with an average of 56.1 errors per page.
What are the most common web accessibility errors?
Low contrast text was the most common detected issue in 2026, found on 83.9% of the top one million home pages.
How many countries have joined the UN disability rights convention?
The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities had 194 parties and 164 signatories on 9 November 2026.
How many people need assistive technology?
More than 2.5 billion people worldwide need one or more assistive products.
Who are the main digital accessibility companies?
Vendors include AudioEye, which reported record third quarter 2026 revenue of USD 11.0 million, up 7% year on year.
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