A hotel once told me their venue was “walking distance” from my room. I use a wheelchair, so that phrase didn’t tell me anything useful. Was it flat? Was there a curb cut? Was it two hundred feet or a mile and a half? I had no idea until I got there and found out the hard way. That’s the problem with accessible business language done poorly: it sounds fine to the person writing it and tells the person reading it almost nothing.
What Accessible Business Language Actually Requires
Accessible business language isn’t about swapping in softer words. It’s about being specific enough that someone can actually plan around what you’ve told them, no matter how they move, what they can afford, or what kind of device they’re using to read your website in the first place.
Describe Distance Like You Mean It
“Walking distance” assumes everyone walks. Some people use wheelchairs, scooters, canes, or service animals, and “walking distance” to one person is an entirely different experience for another. Give an actual distance, note the surface type, mention curb cuts or an accessible entrance, and if there’s an incline, say so. “The hotel is 0.3 miles from the venue, with paved sidewalks and curb cuts along the route” tells a customer everything “walking distance” never could. This is accessible business language in its simplest form: enough detail that someone can actually plan.
Don’t Assume Everyone Can Just Download the App
“Just download the app” sounds simple until you remember that not everyone owns the newest phone, has a fast connection, or feels confident navigating a new piece of software. A Pew Research Center survey found that adults with disabilities are noticeably less likely to own a smartphone or computer than adults without disabilities, so a digital-only option quietly excludes a real slice of your customers. Give people a second path. “Use the app or call our support line” costs you almost nothing and keeps the door open for everyone.
Independence Looks Different for Different People
I hear a lot of businesses talk about their products “helping disabled people be independent,” and I understand the intention. But independence doesn’t mean doing everything alone. I use a wheelchair, I’ve relied on personal support, and I’ve used tools built specifically for someone without hands, and I’d still call myself independent. Better accessible business language focuses on control, not self-sufficiency: “this gives people more control over how they use the service” says what you actually mean without deciding what independence should look like for someone else.
Stop Promising “Fully Accessible”
I understand the instinct to want to say your business is “fully accessible.” I’d love for that to be true everywhere I go. But it’s rarely accurate, and when a customer shows up expecting full accessibility and finds gaps instead, that overpromise does more damage than an honest description would have. “Designed with accessibility in mind,” or a specific list of what you actually offer, accessible entrances, accessible seating, accessible restrooms, builds trust instead of setting people up for disappointment. That’s accessible business language too: honesty over an easy promise.
Get Ahead of It for Events
If you’re planning an event, put your accessibility information where people can find it before they arrive, not buried in an FAQ or hidden behind “call for details.” Accessible entrances, parking, seating, restroom access, and a contact for accommodation requests should all show up early.
Good accessible business language for events means putting this information where people can find it, not making them dig for it or call to ask. We covered a lot of this in 10 Quick Wins for Accessible Event Planning and dug into where big events still get it wrong in Accessible Conferences: What Large Events Still Get Wrong (and How to Do Better), and the short version is the same every time: say it early, say it clearly, and don’t make people ask.
Why the Extra Sentence Is Worth It
None of this takes much more time to write. It just takes remembering that the person reading your website isn’t guaranteed to move, see, hear, or pay the way you do. I’ve spent my whole life translating vague directions into something I could actually use, and I’d rather businesses do that translation up front than leave customers to do it on the sidewalk outside a venue they can’t quite reach. A sentence or two of real detail is a small price for not leaving anyone behind.
Let’s Talk About How Your Business Communicates
Getting accessible business language right isn’t about sounding perfectly polished. It’s about giving people accurate information so they can decide for themselves whether your business works for them. If you want help reviewing how your website, forms, or event pages talk about accessibility, our workplace services team can walk through it with you. Reach out to us and let’s make sure your language is doing right by the people reading it.
