The Curb Cut Effect: How Digital Accessibility Elevates UX for Everyone

Author: Level Access

Digital accessibility is more than a compliance requirement—it’s fundamental to delivering seamless, intuitive user experiences. European organisations are increasingly recognising this connection: according to our Seventh Annual State of Digital Accessibility Report, 96% of professionals across Europe and the U.K. say accessibility improves UX.

It may feel intuitive that when organisations remove barriers, digital products and content become easier to use for people with disabilities. However, the impact of digital accessibility extends further. Best practices that support accessibility often result in a better experience for everyone. This phenomenon is known as the curb cut effect, and it’s one of the most compelling arguments for embedding accessibility into every stage of digital design and development.

In this article, we’ll explore how the curb cut effect works, why it matters for organisations, and how teams can harness it as a strategic advantage.

What is the curb cut effect?

The concept originates from a simple but transformative urban design change. In the 1970s, disability activists in Berkeley, California, advocated for small ramps built into street corners, also known as “curb cuts,” to improve access for users of mobility devices, like wheelchairs and scooters.

Those little ramps soon proved to be beneficial for everyone, including parents with prams, travellers dragging luggage, shoppers pushing carts, and cyclists and skateboarders navigating busy streets. All of them found that curb cuts made their journeys easier, faster, and safer.

Because of the success of curb cuts, disability advocates and urban planners learned that accessibility improvements often deliver widespread, unexpected benefits to the public. Nowadays, one could find curb cuts across Europe.

The curb cut effect and digital accessibility

The curb cut effect also applies to digital experiences. Features that were initially designed for people with disabilities frequently elevate usability for everyone. Examples include:

• Video captions: Captions were originally intended for users who are deaf or hard-of-hearing. Now, many people without disabilities—including commuters, office workers, and students—also use captions to understand video content more effectively in quiet and high-noise environments.
• Voice recognition: While voice recognition is now ubiquitous with features like Siri and Alexa, this technology was first developed for users with mobility disabilities as an alternative to keyboards and pointing devices.
• High-contrast and dark modes: Initially created for users with visual disabilities, high-contrast and dark modes are now widely used by people without disabilities to reduce eye strain and improve readability in low light.
• Clear headings and structured layouts: While HTML headings and layouts support screen reader navigation, they also improve readability, search engine optimization (SEO), and generative engine optimization (GEO), resulting in higher traffic for web pages.

By removing barriers, accessible design often results in faster, smoother digital journeys that benefit all users. Accessibility is not separate from good UX; it is good UX.

How digital accessibility translates into business outcomes

So, why does the curb cut effect matter for organisations? Because accessibility makes digital experiences more intuitive for everyone, and that leads directly to positive business outcomes.

Across Europe and the U.K., professionals report strong links between digital accessibility and:

• Improved customer satisfaction (reported by 93% of professionals surveyed for our State of Digital Accessibility Report)
• Stronger brand reputation (reported by 91% of professionals)
• Higher customer retention (reported by 88% of professionals)
• Revenue growth (reported by 82% of professionals)

The data is clear: accessible user experiences reduce friction, increase conversions, and drive revenue.

Turning the curb cut effect into a competitive advantage

Thanks to the curb cut effect, accessibility delivers better user experiences for all customers—and this results in tangible business impact. So, how can you make accessibility a growth driver for your organisation? The most successful teams combine automation with expert guidance to scale accessibility efficiently.

At Level Access, our Hybrid Intelligence solution brings together a unified platform, AI agents, and human expertise—helping teams find issues earlier, fix them more reliably, and confidently prove ROI.

If your organisation is ready to turn accessibility into a competitive edge, we’re here to help. Contact us today to learn how we can support your accessibility journey.