Bridging the Gap: Disability-Inclusive Corporate Social Responsibility as a Catalyst for Equitable Marketing Transformation

Disability-inclusive corporate social responsibility (CSR) represents a transformative path toward equitable and accessible marketing. In a world increasingly focused on social responsibility, inclusive design offers brands an essential route to create meaningful connections with consumers with disabilities. This commentary explores “Creating Equity by Design: A Conceptual Framework for Marketplace Inclusion” by Lteif et al. (2025), which outlines sensory, cognitive, behavioral, and social dimensions in inclusive marketing. Applying these principles can enhance consumer loyalty, elevate brand reputation, and advance social equity, building a marketplace where people of all abilities feel included.

The Expanding Role of CSR in Today’s Market

CSR has shifted beyond traditional profit motives to embrace broader social and ethical responsibilities. As businesses commit to addressing pressing social issues, disability inclusion remains an area where significant progress is still needed. People with disabilities (PWDs) are often excluded from marketing strategies and brand communications. This inclusion gap persists, even though this significant demographic consists of 1.6 billion people, constitutes 22% of the population, and collectively controls $18 trillion in buying power (Return on Disability 2024). Organizations have a valuable opportunity to expand their market reach and create positive social impact by integrating disability-inclusive CSR initiatives.

Aligning CSR with Consumer Expectations for Social Impact

Modern consumers prioritize authenticity and purpose in the brands they support, expecting companies to address social causes in a way that feels genuine. A report indicates that 87% of consumers favor brands with active social or environmental initiatives, while 76% avoid those that fall short in these areas (Cone Communications 2017). Embracing disability inclusion within CSR not only helps brands align with evolving consumer expectations but also fosters a strong sense of trust and connection. CSR efforts address inequities faced by marginalized groups, including PWDs. As organizations integrate disability inclusion into their CSR efforts, it is imperative to embrace the mantra of the disability community, “Nothing about us without us.” It emphasizes the importance of involving people with disabilities in decisions that impact them. By supporting disability-inclusive CSR, brands can build long-lasting loyalty and contribute to a fairer, more accessible marketplace.

Addressing the Representation Gap in Marketing

Despite increasing emphasis on diversity, disabled individuals remain vastly underrepresented in media and advertising. In 2021, a Nielsen study reported that only 1% of ads featured disabled individuals. Similarly, the 2018 Public Relations and Communications Association’s Census revealed merely 2% of communications professionals identified as having a disability (Khatwani 2018). This lack of representation perpetuates an empathy gap, where stereotypes are reinforced and authentic perspectives from the disabled community are missing. Including PWDs in advertising not only provides accurate representation but also gives voice to their experiences, enabling brands to develop campaigns that resonate with real consumer needs. Expanding representation allows brands to dismantle barriers, cultivate inclusivity, and bridge the empathy gap in media.

Applying the Inclusive CSR Design Framework

Lteif et al.’s (2025) framework introduces four dimensions for inclusive marketing: sensory, cognitive, behavioral, and social accessibility. Each addresses a unique accessibility aspect, offering brands a way to reach diverse audiences.

1. Sensory Accessibility: Sensory accessibility ensures that content reaches individuals with different sensory needs, like those with low vision. For example, Schick Intuition partnered with a popular blind social media influencer, Molly Burke, for its “Content For All” initiative. This effort focused on improving the accessibility of its social media content with the addition of detailed textual image descriptions and accessible hashtags while highlighting the importance of sensory accessibility in social media (DeSantis 2021).
2. Cognitive Accessibility: Cognitive accessibility accommodates a range of cognitive abilities. IBM’s “Neurodiversity @ IBM” program involves neurodiverse employees in creating content to ensure that it meets diverse needs (Grant Pickens 2021).
3. Behavioral Accessibility: Behavioral accessibility removes functional barriers to improve usability. Starbucks’s Signing Store, codesigned by Deaf employees, includes an open layout floor plan to support signing and integrates a two-way visual ordering system to set a new standard for retail accessibility (Blanchard and McAlpine 2018).
4. Social Accessibility: Social accessibility emphasizes inclusive portrayals in media. Google’s 2024 Super Bowl ad, “Javier in Frame,” featuring a low-vision user and created by a blind filmmaker, shows that disability representation can be impactful and socially affirming (Shaul 2024).

Aligning CSR with these four dimensions allows brands to develop campaigns that prioritize accessibility, ensuring that people with disabilities feel valued and empowered.

Financial and Social Benefits of Disability-Inclusive CSR

Investing in disability-inclusive CSR delivers significant financial and social benefits, establishing it as a strategic business decision beyond ethical commitment. The Public Relations and Communications Association’s (2023) Accessible Communications Guidelines underscores that accessible communications improve brand preference, purchase intent, and loyalty among disabled consumers and their networks, whereas inaccessible content risks alienating this demographic, damaging brand reputation.

Financially, the advantages are substantial. A recent study by Accenture and Disability:IN (2023) found that companies focused on disability inclusion report 1.6 times higher revenue, 2.6 times higher net income, and double the economic profit compared with those without disability initiatives. This data highlights that disability-inclusive CSR not only meets societal expectations but enhances profitability.

Further illustrating the business value of disability inclusion, a 2022 Forrester report estimates a $100 return for every dollar invested in accessibility (Bureau of Internet Accessibility 2024). Positive word of mouth within the disabled community and its allies further amplifies these gains, strengthening brand loyalty and expanding market reach. These benefits demonstrate why accessibility and inclusion are strategic priorities that also reinforce brand equity.

Policy Recommendations for Advancing Disability-Inclusive CSR

Public policy can play a vital role in promoting disability inclusion. Policy makers should consider the following:

1. Disability-Inclusive Hiring Incentives: Offering financial incentives to companies hiring, retaining, and supporting PWDs at all levels helps bridge representation gaps and fosters cultures where PWD perspectives enhance brand strategies and public initiatives.
2. Accessibility Certification Programs: Establishing a certification for disability-friendly brands based on Lteif et al.’s (2025) four accessibility dimensions would set a high standard, helping consumers identify accessible brands.
3. Mandated Accessible Marketing Tools: Requiring that marketing tools support assistive technologies ensures that disabled employees can fully participate in campaign creation, enhancing accessibility internally and externally.
4. Public–Private Partnerships for Inclusive Design Research: Collaborations between government, businesses, and nonprofits can drive innovation in inclusive design, accelerating the development of accessible products, tools, and experiences that meet the needs of PWDs.

Conclusion

Lteif et al.’s (2025) article provides brands with a powerful roadmap to foster disability-inclusive CSR, guiding them to consider sensory, cognitive, behavioral, and social dimensions in their marketing strategies. By embracing this framework, brands can move beyond surface-level inclusion efforts to build authentic connections with people with disabilities, fostering social equity and creating marketing that resonates meaningfully with diverse audiences.

Disability-inclusive CSR not only advances consumer trust and long-term loyalty but also unlocks untapped financial potential by expanding access to a market often overlooked. Through the integration of these inclusive design principles, brands can transform their approach, contributing to a marketplace where people of all abilities feel recognized, empowered, and valued. As more companies adopt this framework, they reinforce their corporate image as leaders in inclusivity, paving the way toward a future where marketing serves as a genuine bridge to belonging for all.

References

Accenture and Disability:IN (2023), “The Disability Inclusion Imperative,” (accessed March 20, 2025), https://www.accenture.com/content/dam/accenture/final/accenture-com/document-2/Disability-Inclusion-Report-Business-Imperative.pdf.

Bureau of Internet Accessibility (2024), “What’s the ROI of Web Accessibility?” (January 3), https://www.boia.org/blog/roi-of-web-accessibility.

Cone Communications (2017), “2017 Cone Communications CSR Study,” (accessed March 20, 2025), https://www.cbd.int/doc/case-studies/inc/cs-inc-cone-communications-en.pdf.

DeSantis, Rachel (2021), “Blind YouTube Star Molly Burke Is Fighting to Make Social Media More Inclusive: ‘Really No Excuse,’” People (June 29), https://people.com/human-interest/blind-youtube-star-molly-burke-is-fighting-to-make-social-media-more-inclusive/.

Blanchard, Lauren and David McAlpine (2018), “Starbucks Opens First US-Based Sign Language Store,” New York Post (October 24), https://nypost.com/2018/10/24/starbucks-opens-first-us-based-sign-language-store/.

Grant Pickens, Carla (2021), “Neurodiversity Acceptance Month 2021: Awareness, Acceptance, & Advancement,” IBM Newsroom (April 6), https://newsroom.ibm.com/Neurodiversity-IBM?item=32865.

Khatwani, Neha (2018), “Opinion: Why the PRCA is taking decisive action on diversity in PR,” Gorkana (February 19), https://www.gorkana.com/2018/02/opinion-why-the-prca-is-taking-decisive-action-on-diversity-in-pr/.

Lteif, Lama, Helen van der Sluis, Lauren G. Block, Luca Cian, Vanessa M. Patrick, and Maura L. Scott (2025), “Creating Equity by Design: A Conceptual Framework for Marketplace Inclusion,” Journal of Public Policy & Marketing, 44 (2), 214–31.

Nielsen (2021), “Visibility of Disability: Portrayals of Disability in Advertising,” (August), https://www.nielsen.com/insights/2021/visibility-of-disability-portrayals-of-disability-in-advertising/.

Public Relations and Communications Association (2023), “PRCA Accessible Communications Guidelines: 2023 Edition,” (accessed March 20), https://accessible-communications.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/ACCESSIBLE-COMMUNICATIONS-GUIDELINES-2023.pdf.

Return on Disability (2024), “Annual Report 2024,” (September 20), https://www.rod-group.com/research-insights/annual-report-2024/.

Shaul, Brandy (2024), “Google Pixel Celebrates Accessibility in Its Latest Super Bowl Ad,” Adweek (accessed March 20, 2025), https://www.adweek.com/brand-marketing/google-pixel-super-bowl-58-ad-commercial/.

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