For solo entrepreneurs and gig workers, a website isn’t just a marketing tool — it’s a front door to customers, partners, and income. Making that front door accessible to people with disabilities is both practical and principled: accessible sites reach a bigger audience, improve usability for everyone, and reduce legal and reputational risk.

Globally, an estimated 1.3 billion people — roughly 1 in 6 — experience significant disability, which means a meaningful portion of potential customers may struggle with sites that aren’t built accessibly. World Health Organization For a freelancer, small business owner, or gig worker whose bookings, sales, or leads come directly from a website, excluding even a small slice of that audience can cost real revenue and referrals.

Accessibility also helps conversion and search visibility. Clear headings, good semantic markup, and properly labelled forms make sites easier for assistive technologies — and easier for search engines and all visitors. Faster, more readable pages reduce friction: that’s more bookings, fewer abandoned carts, and a smoother client experience.

There’s a practical legal angle, too. In many places digital accessibility is subject to regulation and enforcement; staying proactive cuts exposure to complaints or lawsuits and shows you’re running a professional, responsible operation. 

If you’re an individual entrepreneur and accessibility feels daunting, you don’t have to go it alone. Equal Agency provides accessibility auditing, remediation, and consulting services tailored to organizations of many sizes — a helpful resource if you want an expert assessment and a prioritized fix plan.

Start small and sensible: run an automated scan, fix the highest-impact issues (alt text, form labels, keyboard focus, color contrast), then schedule a manual review or user testing with people who use assistive tech. Treat accessibility as ongoing maintenance, not a one-off chore: keep it in your content workflow so new pages and updates stay usable.

For freelancers and gig workers, an accessible website is competitive advantage: it widens your market, improves SEO and conversions, limits legal risk, and signals that you care about customers. Investing a little time or partnering with a consultant pays back in trust, reach, and revenue.