Why accessibility is everyone's business

Accessibility can feel like an abstract concept with little immediate value. Even with the European Accessibility Act requiring companies in the EU to be partially compliant by June 28, 2025, accessibility doesn’t always get the attention it deserves. “People tend to notice it only when they experience barriers themselves, temporarily due to an accident or permanently due to aging,” says Lars Holm Sørensen, online accessibility expert at Acquia. He finds that concrete, real-life examples help companies understand and remove barriers. “It’s really a matter of raising awareness – and then putting a price tag on it.”

For Lars Holm Sørensen to become an accessibility expert, seems like a logical step given his background. He has a degree in computer science, strong communication skills and the user perspective of a blind person. But growing up, there weren’t many career options, according to his parents. “Only three directions were laid out for me”, he recalls:

• “Piano tuner – but alas, our family has no musical talent.”
• “Crafter – making brushes and small items, which my parents thought was not good enough for me.”
• “Lawyer – for which I am not smart enough.”

Instead of following a predefined path, Lars created his own job. He became an entrepreneur and helps companies make the world more accessible.

Accessibility for an aging population

“For many people with visual impairments, finding an after-school job is difficult. What does it mean to be in a workplace? What will employers think of me? How will I provide value in my role? There are real problems and perceived problems,” Lars explains. Even at Aquia in this role, there were unexpected barriers, like the office coffee machine. “Getting a hot chocolate instead of a coffee is not the best way to start the morning for me,” he laughs. But he chooses to focus on solutions, not obstacles. “My goal in life is to help remove barriers for everyone. Not just for the 0.3% of the population that is completely blind.”

That’s one of his key messages: around 8% of the European population has some level of visual impairment. 25% has some form of disability that requires accessibility measures. “And if you include age-related impairments? 40% to 50% of Europeans will experience some form of disability or impairment, starting from age 45+. With an aging population, accessibility isn’t just a compliance issue, it’s a necessity.”

Accessibility affects everyone

Lars illustrates the concept with a simple real-world example. A wheelchair user struggling to reach the fourth floor of a building without an elevator is facing an obvious barrier. But the same barrier affects parents with strollers or travelers with heavy luggage. The digital world is no different. “High contrast not only helps visual impaired people. It also benefits people whose eyesight is declining, and anyone using a tablet in bright sunlight,” Lars says. Even business content should be designed for accessibility. “A text like this, written in B1 of B2 English, isn’t just more accessible for people with cognitive and neurological disabilities. It also helps anyone reading it on a stressful day.”

The key difference? Some barriers block access completely, while others just make life harder. “I can’t do the laundry. Ten years ago, this wasn’t a problem because I could easily find a washing machine with tactile buttons and dials that I could feel and memorize. Today, most washing machines have touch panels for selecting the temperature and the details of the washing programs. These are impossible to use without vision.” Another example is headings in online content. “Using keywords in headings is good SEO practice. But for me, as a blind user relying on screen readers, well-structured headings make my life easier.”

‘Accessibility beats price’

While accessibility laws like the European Accessibility Act are pushing companies to improve, that should be the last reason to make products and services accessible. “It’s simply good business,” Lars explains. Take marketing emails: “If your message is embedded in an image without an alt tag, my screen reader will only read a meaningless number. That means your message doesn’t land.” When shopping online, Lars often doesn’t buy what he wants most, but the ones he can access. “Accessibility beats price and preferences every time.”

One recent example, his son wanted to send a package to his grandparents. At a GLS service point, Lars was told to download an app, fill in his details, and generate a QR code. “My screen reader couldn’t recognize any of the fields. That was a game stopper. No GLS for me.” The second delivery service he tried had a more accessible app. He could fill out his details and buy the package label. The last action was to find the nearest service point to bring in the package. “There was only a visual map – I could not find any service point. I had to ask for help to complete a simple task.”

“This highlights a crucial point,” Lars says. The whole customer journey should be accessible to convert people with disabilities into paying customers. “You’d be surprised how many websites have a call to action, like sign up for a newsletter or go to checkout, that I can’t use. If it doesn’t work, I can’t give you business.”

Driving accessibility with Acquia

At open digital experience software company Acquia, Lars works on the Acquia Optimize Platform. It helps to perfect website content and improve web accessibility. His work has two legs: working with developers to help them build top-tier accessibility testing tools and creating global awareness about accessibility. Next month, he’ll be at Acquia Engage Boston for a presentation, followed by a conference in London. “Travelling to a new place is hard work for me, navigating and finding my way requires a ton of energy. But it’s also what gives me energy. Acquia provides me a great platform to share accessibility insights at a much bigger scale, making a bigger impact.”

Within Acquia, Lars founded the League of Accessibility Champions, much in the same way as Guilds in the Spotify-model. “It started when I identified people within the company interested in accessibility and invited them to a dedicated Slack channel. Now we hold regular meetings, share best practices, and build knowledge from the ground up. This way, accessibility isn’t just a topic, it becomes a movement.”

Removing barriers in business and mindset

Lars’ wishes in life are no different from anyone else's. “I want to be the best version of myself, inspire my kids, and build strong relationships. Professionally, my mission is to remove barriers so everyone can live independent, fulfilling lives.” But accessibility isn’t just about external barriers. Sometimes, the biggest limitations come from within. “Some people put barriers on themselves. Others get them from family. My parents tried their best to help me, and I don’t blame them. But later in life, I had to unlearn certain beliefs. Like what was possible for my career. Later, I realized that there are a ton of possibilities and options. I just needed to find my way.” Next month, Lars is hosting a weekend course for the Danish Association of the Blind on entrepreneurship. The goal: to help others break through their own barriers. “First you need to believe it’s possible. Then it becomes possible.”