Design for All Archives | Rodighiero.Design for All

Category: Design for All

May

European Accessibility Act: what this really means for product design companies

European Accessibility Act: cosa cambia davvero per le aziende di product design

Il 28 giugno 2025 è una data che molte aziende manifatturiere hanno segnato in agenda come scadenza burocratica. Un anno dopo, quelle stesse aziende si trovano ad affrontare una domanda che non avevano previsto: perché la conformità non è sufficiente?

Cosa prevede l’EAA: una sintesi per i non-giuristi

The European Accessibility Act (EU Directive 2019/882) requires manufacturers, importers and distributors to ensure that certain categories of products and services are accessible to people with disabilities by 28 June 2025. The categories covered include computers, smartphones, TVs, e-book readers, payment terminals, ticket machines, banking services, e-commerce, transport services and electronic communications.

In technical terms, the directive refers to the principles of Design for All: products and services must be perceivable, operable, understandable and robust for people with various types of disabilities — motor, visual, hearing and cognitive.

Compliance is not voluntary. Non-compliant products may be withdrawn from the market. Penalties vary by Member State, but the principle is consistent: accessibility is a legal requirement, not an ethical option.

Which products are affected — and which aren’t

The directive explicitly covers: self-service terminals (ATMs, ticket machines, kiosks), e-reader hardware, computers and operating systems, smartphones, televisions with digital services, e-commerce services, retail banking services, electronic communications services, and passenger transport (websites, apps, e-tickets).

The following are not directly covered: furniture, cosmetics, clothing, kitchen utensils, and industrial products not intended for the end consumer. However — and this is the point that many companies have not yet grasped — the EAA does not exhaust the legal issue: Legislative Decree 82/2005 (Consumer Code), Presidential Decree 503/1996, UNI EN standards and public procurement legislation already impose accessibility requirements in many contexts not covered by the European directive.

The critical issue that many companies underestimate

In the year following the EAA’s entry into force, a recurring pattern emerged: companies consulted their legal departments, which produced a compliance checklist. The checklist was passed on to the technical department, which added attributes to the documentation and revised the user instructions. The product remained unchanged.

This approach has a specific name: retrofitting. It is the most expensive — and least effective — way to address accessibility. The reasons are structural.

A product that has not been designed with human diversity in mind cannot become accessible through minor modifications. Accessibility is not added at the end of a design process: it is incorporated in the early stages, when fundamental decisions on form, function, materials and interaction are still open.

Anyone who has worked with Design for All knows this from direct experience: integrating accessibility principles during the brief and concept phases reduces subsequent adaptation costs, improves usability for all users — not just those with disabilities — and generates more competitive products, not less.

Check out our process

From compliance to competitive advantage: the role of Design for All

The market for people with disabilities in Europe comprises over 87 million people. If we include older people (by 2050, a third of the European population will be over 64), people with temporary disabilities, and family members who influence purchasing decisions, the scope expands enormously.

Companies that integrated Design for All into their R&D process before the EAA are not facing a compliance crisis: they are reaping the benefits of a choice made well in advance. Their products do not require emergency updates because user diversity was already part of the original brief.

The competitive advantage is not theoretical. It is measurable in: a reduction in the number of product variants needed to cover different market segments; a reduction in returns and after-sales service requests; increased customer loyalty; and an expansion of the customer base without increasing production costs.

What does it mean to design for the EAA from the very beginning?

Integrating EAA principles right from the start of the process essentially means doing three things:

First: involving users with different abilities in the research and testing phases. Not as a token statistical sample, but as the primary source of design requirements. It is the difference between knowing that an older person ‘might have difficulty’ and understanding exactly where, why and how to modify the concept.
Second: define accessibility criteria in the project brief — not in the final specifications. The question ‘is this product accessible?’ must be asked before the product’s design has been finalised, not when it is already in production.
Third: verify compliance through prototypes and test models before final production, not through post-production legal checklists. A prototype tested with real users is worth more than ten compliance audits.

Design for All consultancy

Now is the time to act

For companies developing new products or re-evaluating existing ranges, the time is now — not because the EAA imposes it as a bureaucratic urgency, but because the market demands it as a prerequisite for competitiveness.

Companies that treat accessibility as a compliance issue are tackling the wrong problem. Those that treat it as a design opportunity are building the competitive advantage of the next decade. The distinction is not semantic. It is strategic.

For 20 years, we have been working with companies — from bathroom furnishings to cosmetics, from electronics to cultural venues — to translate this distinction into better products, environments and services. Not because it is ethically right.

view selected works

Apr

Design for All: the bathroom as a contemporary inclusive system

For too long, the bathroom has been regarded as a functional space: an environment governed by measurements, regulations, minimum specifications and solutions often designed more to solve a problem than to create a comfortable user experience. Yet it is in this most intimate living space that the true maturity of a design is revealed. The bathroom does not merely measure comfort; it measures autonomy, dignity, the continuity of daily routines and, ultimately, the way in which design interprets human diversity.

When accessibility is treated as a mere adaptation, the design is limited to making corrections. When, on the other hand, it is conceived as a generative principle, the bathroom becomes a laboratory of innovation, where form, function, material and technology converge in a more evolved vision of living. It is in this transition that Design for All acquires its deepest meaning: not as a specialist category, but as an approach capable of making the design more enduring and more contemporary.

Today, in the international context, the rigid distinction between standard bathrooms and accessible bathrooms is finally beginning to lose its substance. Not because specific needs have disappeared, but because the most advanced design has begun to recognise human variability as a structural fact rather than a marginal exception. Designing for all is not a compromise; it is an act of systemic awareness.

Find out about the economic benefits of Design for All

From medical devices to contemporary design language

The early days of home accessibility were inevitably focused on technical and healthcare aspects: exposed grab rails, built-in seats, raised platforms and assistive devices. These were useful and necessary solutions, but often felt out of place within the language of interior architecture. The accessible bathroom was long portrayed as a ‘different’ kind of bathroom, separated from the vocabulary of comfort, well-being and formal quality.

Today, the most interesting shift concerns not only performance, but language. A significant example is the spread of floor-level showers and integrated drainage systems, which have transformed a functional necessity into a sign of architectural quality. Geberit CleanLine channels are presented precisely as an essential, hygienic solution capable of facilitating continuous movement, contributing to a more fluid and less compartmentalised concept of the bathroom. The threshold disappears, the surface is redefined, and accessibility merges with the continuity of the space.

This is a decisive cultural shift: when an inclusive solution no longer appears as a technical compromise but as an expression of design quality, the collective perception of the product also changes. The bathroom is no longer merely functional; it becomes more intuitive, more elegant, more compelling.

Adaptive systems: when the bathroom transforms

The next step is even more significant, because it concerns not only the form but also the product’s behaviour over time. The most interesting frontier lies in adaptive systems: elements that do not require the user to conform to a fixed configuration, but which seek to adapt themselves according to posture, needs and conditions of use.

From this perspective, initiatives such as ROPOX AdaptLine and SlimLine are significant above all because they point the way forward: introducing height adjustment as a standard feature of the bathroom system rather than as an exceptional addition. However, when viewed through a design lens, it becomes clear that this frontier is still incomplete: the principle is sound, but the interaction could be more intuitive and the design language more mature, less technical and more consistent with the contemporary domestic environment.

Here lies an important theoretical difference: traditional design tends to establish a ‘correct’ measurement, whilst adaptive design introduces transformability as a value. It does not seek an ideal average, but creates the conditions for a plurality of uses.

Smart bathrooms and reduced cognitive load

In this context, technology is not interesting in itself. It becomes so when it reduces the physical and interpretative burden of the experience. A truly inclusive bathroom is not merely safe: it is understandable, intuitive, consistent in its signage, and capable of guiding the user without forcing them to make constant adjustments or interpretations.

TOTO WASHLET systems, with individual adjustments for the spray, temperature and nozzle position, alongside features such as EWATER+, automatic descaling and energy-saving mode, demonstrate how personal hygiene can become more precise and less reliant on complex manual sequences. Similarly, Roca In-Wash Inspira integrates washing, drying, a control panel, a night light, a presence sensor and, in the most advanced versions, even the cistern integrated into the bowl, reducing bulk and simplifying the overall design. In these cases, technology does not dominate the scene: it recedes into a more linear, quieter, more natural interaction.

This is the pinnacle of the contemporary bathroom: not the accumulation of functions, but their discreet orchestration. True innovation does not lie in adding complexity, but in ensuring that technical complexity translates into a simpler experience.

Beauty and inclusion: a mature convergence

For a long time, it was believed that accessibility and beauty belonged to two distinct realms: necessity on the one hand, and desire on the other. Today, this dichotomy appears increasingly untenable. The most mature design demonstrates that inclusion does not impoverish the formal language, but rather compels it to become more essential, clearer, more honest and gentle.

The contemporary bathroom does not require special objects displayed as exceptions. It demands products capable of integrating support, safety, intuitiveness and perceptual value into a single synthesis. It is precisely on this fine line that our expertise lies: not in designing separate solutions, but in developing bathroom products that transform inclusive needs into architectural quality, clarity of use and contemporary language.

From this perspective, Design for All does not intervene at the end to correct; it enters at the beginning to guide. It does not add. It organises. It does not specialise. It makes the design more refined, more open, capable of enduring over time.

See the Prime project

See the Shine project

Designing for human diversity

Global demographic trends make this consideration all the more urgent. The United Nations indicates that by 2050, one in six people worldwide will be over 65, whilst the WHO notes that by the same date, the population aged 60 and over will reach approximately 2.1 billion. This is not a niche issue, but a structural feature of contemporary societies.

Designing a bathroom today therefore means accepting the variability of abilities as a standard feature of the design: changing mobility, reduced balance, shifting strength, failing eyesight, and needs that evolve over the course of a lifetime. The inclusive bathroom is a space designed for a whole lifetime, and for the possibility that that life may pass through different stages without losing autonomy and dignity.

This is, ultimately, the greatest challenge of contemporary design: not to build perfect environments for an ideal moment, but systems capable of remaining relevant over time.

Tell us about your upcoming project

Nov

Participatory design for change: Francesco Rodighiero’s vision in his interview with Il Bagno Oggi e Domani

In the November–December 2025 issue of Il Bagno Oggi e Domani, Francesco Rodighiero – a Design for All designer and an authoritative voice in the field of inclusive design – offers a clear and insightful reading of the social transformations that are reshaping contemporary design. The conversation focuses on demographic, cultural and behavioural changes that will significantly influence the design landscape in the coming years.

Rodighiero highlights that “the society of the future will be increasingly articulated, faster and culturally more complex,” a condition made evident by the simultaneous coexistence of five generations, each with profoundly different rhythms, habits and expectations. Population ageing, he notes, is one of the most decisive factors: “By 2050, one third of the population will be over 64,” a demographic group destined to play a central role not only in consumption patterns but also in collective choices.

From this emerges the need – no longer postponable today – to rethink design as an open and inclusive process. Rodighiero states clearly: “We can no longer design for a single category or for ourselves: we must begin to imagine places and objects for everyone.” This approach embraces the entire life cycle of individuals, including temporary fragilities and those situations in which changes in daily habits require new systems, new products or simply new ways of inhabiting spaces.

The interview also highlights the central role that research and development processes must play within companies. Sustainability, adaptability and attention to transversal needs become, in Rodighiero’s view, the structural pillars of contemporary design. Participatory design, understood as a practice of structured listening and responsible interpretation of needs, emerges as an essential tool to avoid self-referential solutions and to generate social value.

Rodighiero’s contribution fits into a broader dialogue on the future of the bathroom design sector and the innovation scenarios that lie ahead. His perspective reminds us that design cannot limit itself to responding to the present; it must anticipate the future with a vision capable of embracing differences, diversity and continuous evolutions in everyday life.

read the full magazine

Open

Co-design

Demì

Co-design · Design for All

Co-design · Design for All

Prime

Co-design · Design for All

Co-design · Design for All

Nov

Design challenges and flexibility: rethinking accessible design

From the course “Designing for accessibility: from the spoon to the city”

In the course “Designing for accessibility: from the spoon to the city” promoted by the School of Cultural Heritage and Educational Activities within the Personeper – Accessibility in cultural venues program, the contribution of Francesco Rodighiero offers a timely and thoughtful perspective on inclusive design. His video lecture, “Design challenges and flexibility,” addresses one of the most sensitive questions in contemporary design: how to imagine spaces capable of welcoming human diversity without compromising identity, coherence, or quality.

Beyond method: a way of looking at the project

Rodighiero’s contribution does not offer a model to imitate, but a perspective. At its core lies the idea that accessibility is not a collection of technical requirements, but a way of interpreting the reality of cultural spaces. Accessible design emerges from listening to contexts and people, from attention to both permanent and temporary forms of fragility, and from the awareness that every public place is traversed by diverse needs.

The process he describes is not disclosed in its operational details; instead, it is framed in its meaning: giving form to spaces that can be questioned and that remain open to change.

Flexibility as a design horizon

According to Rodighiero, flexibility is a design competence, not a simple technical attribute. Cultural spaces change over time: exhibitions transform, audiences shift, and the languages and modes through which people inhabit environments evolve. Architecture, to be genuinely inclusive, must anticipate these variations and turn them into resources.

Flexibility does not mean indecision; it is the ability to preserve continuity even as things change. It is a form of care toward the diverse people who inhabit cultural spaces.

Communicating, orienting, welcoming

A significant part of the reflection concerns communication, understood as a cultural infrastructure that parallels the architectural one. Texts, symbols, signage, graphic systems—all contribute to shaping the visitor’s experience.

Similarly, orientation is not a technical gesture but an act of responsibility toward people’s autonomy. Finally, cultural mediation and staff training emerge as essential elements in transforming a space into a truly welcoming environment.

The value of training

Rodighiero’s contribution does not close the discussion; it opens it. His lecture encourages ongoing learning and the ability to critically read cultural spaces as complex systems in which accessibility and quality are inseparable.

The Design for All process as a strategic and design-driven lever

Every project requires a sense of responsibility capable of translating complexity into clear, inclusive, and long-lasting choices. The Design for All process makes it possible to align visions, methods, and tools toward solutions that are genuinely useful to people and places.

For those who wish to explore this approach and our dedicated consulting services, our areas of intervention are available to browse.

Explore our consulting services

Nov

Cultural Accessibility: visible and invisible barriers in cultural venues

Reflections from the national course of the Foundation School of Cultural Heritage and Activities

Cultural accessibility as a systemic vision

Cultural Accessibility as a Systemic Vision

Cultural accessibility is not a set of technical requirements or a protocol to be applied to comply with regulations. It is a cultural and organizational process that affects the entire ecosystem of cultural venues: architectural spaces, modes of use, communication systems, professional skills, and interpersonal relationships.

A transformation that requires vision, awareness, and a design approach capable of embracing the complexity of human diversity.

This perspective is at the heart of the national course “Cultural Accessibility: Principles and Practices,” promoted by the Fondazione Scuola dei Beni e delle Attività Culturali as part of the Personeper – Accessibility in Cultural Venues program.

As part of this training program, Francesco Rodighiero, together with Antonella Agnoli, curated the lesson “Visible and Invisible Barriers: Understanding the Context to Define Solutions,” a module that explores in depth the obstacles — tangible and intangible — that impact the full experience of cultural sites.

Recognizing barriers beyond the obvious

In the collective imagination, museums, archives, and libraries are perceived as places naturally open to all. In reality, their accessibility is often limited by a constellation of barriers that interfere with enjoyment, orientation, understanding, and a sense of belonging.

Physical barriers constitute the first level of obstacle: steps, inadequate ramps, inadequate elevators, narrow passageways, fragmented internal routes. They don’t just affect people with mobility disabilities: they also affect those experiencing temporary fragility, such as parents with strollers, the elderly, or visitors with limited mobility.

Added to these are perceptual and sensorial barriers: orientation systems that don’t guide, insufficient lighting, difficult-to-read text, acoustically problematic environments. These difficulties impact everyone’s experience, not just those with hypo- or hypersensitivity.

Finally, technological barriers represent an increasingly relevant dimension. QR codes, inaccessible digital interfaces, content incompatible with assistive technologies, and the lack of digital literacy generate new forms of invisible exclusion.

Although evident, these barriers are often addressed in a fragmented manner, without a comprehensive strategy. Cultural accessibility, however, requires a unified, person-centered project.

The symbolic threshold of cultural places

Many obstacles are less tangible but equally impactful. Cultural places, in fact, harbor a symbolic threshold that can convey distance or a sense of inadequacy.

The language used on the panels, the complexity of the narratives, the information systems designed for a cultured or specialist audience, the room layouts that suggest who belongs there and who doesn’t: all these elements combine to define a cultural barrier that is difficult to break down.

These are subtle but decisive dynamics. They can transform a museum into a place perceived as elitist, or a library into a space that is “not for me,” despite its public mission.

The overall program of the Personeper program explores these themes in depth: https://www.fondazionescuolapatrimonio.it/offerta-formativa/personeper-accessibilita-luoghi-cultura/

Organizational barriers: what you can’t see

A significant portion of the lesson addresses systemic barriers, or invisible obstacles generated by organizational and management choices.

Limited or incompatible hours with daily life, a lack of flexible services, a lack of dedicated cultural mediation staff, inadequately trained staff in inclusive hospitality, and a misalignment between online communication and in-person experiences: these are factors that profoundly impact the visitor experience.

Cultural accessibility depends not only on spaces and technologies, but also on the quality of the processes that govern the life of a cultural institution.

Social justice and economic barriers

Accessibility is also a question of resources. The cost of transportation, educational services, workshops, or technologies can constitute a significant obstacle for many citizens.

Designing inclusively means questioning the economic sustainability of cultural experiences and imagining equitable and accessible models of enjoyment. Equity is not an abstract principle: it is a concrete design element that determines who can—and who cannot—access culture.

Relational barriers: the most fragile dimension

The most subtle, but perhaps most decisive, barriers are relational ones.

The lack of listening, the difficulty in building trust, the sense of loneliness, the lack of human support in critical moments are all elements that decisively impact access to culture.

Relationships are an essential component of the cultural project. Without relationships, no place is truly accessible. Investing in the quality of hospitality, cultural mediation, and community building means creating real conditions for participation.

Transforming spaces: appropriation, flexibility, and everyday life

The examples of European libraries analyzed during the lecture—from Copenhagen to Barcelona, from Oslo to Whitechapel—show how the most inclusive cultural spaces are those capable of adapting, transforming, and welcoming different modes of presence.

Places that allow people to pause, study, meet, observe, participate, and rest.

Spaces that do not impose posture or behavior, but offer freedom of use and the possibility of appropriation. Architectural and functional flexibility thus becomes a fundamental tool for embracing human diversity.

Accessibility as an opportunity for cultural regeneration

Conceiving cultural accessibility as a design principle means recognizing it as an opportunity for regeneration.

It is a strategic investment that allows us to rethink services, organizational models, and forms of hospitality, broadening participation and enhancing a diverse audience.

Accessibility is not a bureaucratic constraint, but a condition that enriches cultural venues, strengthens their public mission, and makes them vital hubs of contemporary communities.

Aug

The inclusion dividend: the economic benefits of Design for All

Accessibility ROI and business case: how Design for All generates measurable growth

Design for All generates an economic dividend that unfolds in four key areas: revenue growth (more users reached, higher conversion rates), cost reduction (lower maintenance, support, and litigation costs), competitive advantage(enhanced reputation, brand preference, access to regulated markets), and long-term resilience (adaptability to demographic and technological change). European and international evidence demonstrates that: (I) the EU population is ageing (≥65 years old at 21.6% as of 1 January 2024) and the share of people with functional limitations is between 24% and 27% of adults — an enormous and growing market; (II) in the digital realm, inaccessibility remains widespread (94.8% of homepages with WCAG errors in 2025), so the systematic adoption of accessibility offers competitive opportunities; (III) well-established case studies (e.g., Legal & General in the UK) document ROI within 12 months and cost reductions up to 66%; (IV) in the built environment, the marginal cost of incorporating accessibility from the outset can be <1–2%, whereas retrofitting is significantly more expensive.

Why now: the latent demand and macroeconomic drivers

Europe is already an “inclusive by necessity” market: 21.6% of the EU population was aged 65+ as of 1 January 2024 (Eurostat), and Italy ranks among the countries with the highest share. At the same time, over 101 million European adults (≈27% of those aged 16+) live with a disability or functional limitation (Consiglio UE / Eurostat), while the WHO estimates around 135 million persons with disabilities in the European Region (WHO Europe).

A non-inclusive design approach de facto forfeits a substantial share of demand and spending, leaving untapped opportunities that only a Design for All strategy can capture.

INDICATOR

EU population aged 65+ (2024)
EU adults with disabilities (2023)
People with disabilities in the EU
Websites with WCAG errors (2025)

VALUE

21,6%
27% (~101 mln)
~135 mln
94,8%

SOURCE

Eurostat
Consiglio UE / Eurostat
OMS Europa
WebAIM Million 2025

These trends create a clear first-mover advantage: those who methodically adopt Design for All (or other approaches such as Universal Design or Inclusive Design) can now tap into real and growing demand, while the majority of competitors — still lagging behind — remain exposed and vulnerable.

The economics of digital: revenue, costs, and risk

Online, inaccessibility is expensive. The Click-Away Pound (UK) has shown multi-billion losses due to cart abandonment by users with disabilities; the most-cited 2019 estimate is £17.1 billion in lost revenue (Click-Away Pound 2019). In parallel, the so-called Purple Pound (the spending power of households with at least one disabled person) is estimated at ~£274 billion per year in the UK (UK Parliament report).

The implication for e-commerce and digital services is immediate: every barrier becomes churn — a loss of customers and revenue.

Case study: Legal & General (UK) recorded +50% organic traffic, requests for quotes doubled in 3 months, –66%maintenance costs, and 100% ROI in 12 months after an accessible redesign (W3C WAI case study (archive)). While historical, this evidence remains a methodological milestone: accessibility integrated into the information architecture and the CMS reduces complexity and recurring costs, and improves ranking and conversion.

The methodological framing is consolidated in W3C WAI’s Business Case for Digital Accessibility, which details tangible (revenue, cost, productivity) and intangible (brand, risk) benefits of inclusion by design (W3C WAI – Business Case). The recent Accessibility Maturity Model (2024) helps move accessibility into governance rather than relegating it to end-of-process bug-fixing (W3C TR – Accessibility Maturity Model).

EU strategic note: the European Accessibility Act (EAA) harmonizes requirements for products and services (including e-commerce and mobile), reducing fragmentation costs and opening cross-border market opportunities — an economic driver, not just a regulatory one (European Commission – EAA).

Physical product and packaging: when “Inclusive” means “Premium”

Design for All expands the market and enables premium pricing when it solves real problems better than competitors. The OXO Good Grips case is canonical: an ergonomic handle born from an “extreme” need (arthritis) that won over mainstream users, building a time-proof product portfolio and brand (OXO Good Grips origin). In FMCG/beauty, P&G (Olay) and Unilever have introduced accessible packaging (easy-open lids, high-contrast labels, Braille, NaviLens codes), with industry recognition and progressive scaling across portfolios (Olay Easy-Open Lid; Unilever accessible on-pack codes; NaviLens). The point here is friction of use: every micro-barrier removed (opening, dosing, reading) increases trial, repeat purchase, and loyalty, improving NPS.

In recent years, examples of accessible products by design have multiplied, where innovation concerns not only the outer wrap but intrinsic functionality:

Furniture and bathrooms: solutions such as height-adjustable washbasins or integrated seating, born from ergonomic analysis, become desirable design elements even for users without disabilities, thanks to greater comfort and safety.
Technologies and electronic devices: from smartphones with native accessibility features (screen readers, haptic feedback, voice commands) to home-automation systems integrating voice control and multisensory interfaces.
Personal mobility: the success of lightweight carbon-fiber wheelchairs or multifunctional aids (e.g., foldable scooters and smart wheelchairs) shows how demand for inclusive products translates into segment innovation and new global markets.

Market insight: the World Economic Forum succinctly captures the competitive advantage of product accessibility — new revenues, customer satisfaction, and reputation — as a business logic that goes beyond mere compliance (World Economic Forum).

Would you like to know how we work?

Find out

Architecture and cultural venues: marginal CAPEX, full value

In architecture, the cliché “accessibility is too expensive” does not hold: recent studies indicate that, if integrated from the earliest stages, accessibility adds <1–2% to construction costs, while in retrofit the delta can rise to 10–20% (or more, depending on constraints). A peer-reviewed 2023 study found an average premium of ≈1.8% for fully accessible public buildings (ScienceDirect – Cost of accessibility). The World Bank reports estimates of <1% overall(World Bank – Accessibility and inclusion), while historical literature confirms negligible increases in new construction.

The economic takeaway is clear: early integration maximizes net present value — fewer extra costs, fewer design changes, more users served.

In cultural venues and cultural tourism, the Purple Pound translates directly into economic flows: in England (12 months to June 2023), travelers with disabilities and their companions generated 24% of domestic overnight spendand 18% of day-visit spend (VisitEngland – Purple Pound in tourism). A significant share, capable of shifting the P&L of institutions and destinations that invest in accessible experiences.

How to measure the ROI of Design for All (operational framework)

To convince a board or a CFO, principles alone are not enough: a measurement model consistent with the life cycle of a product or service is required. The ROI of Design for All can be articulated across five main dimensions, combining quantitative data and qualitative benefits.

Revenues (top line)

Accessibility expands the market, including people who were previously excluded. This means incremental reach: more users, more sessions, more tickets sold. In digital contexts, the effect translates into conversion rate uplift, i.e. a percentage increase in completed actions (purchases, registrations, donations) when the interface is made clear and usable by all (contrast, labels, simple forms). In museums or physical retail, the correlation is direct: a readable caption or an obstacle-free path increases dwell time and the average value of the visit.

Costs (bottom line)

An accessible website or service not only generates more revenue, but also costs less in the medium to long term. This happens because technical maintenance becomes simpler: an orderly, standards-compliant structure is easier to update, with documented savings of up to 66% (L&G). Customer care is also reduced: fewer barriers mean fewer blocked users, fewer support tickets. Finally, accessible design avoids retrofit costs: adding ramps, captions or accessible functions afterwards is always far more expensive (1–2% if planned upfront, up to 20% if corrected later).

Risk (cost of risk)

Not investing in accessibility today means exposure to concrete risks. From 28 June 2025, with the entry into force of the European Accessibility Act (EAA), a non-compliant product or service may face penalties or be excluded from markets and cross-border tenders. Beyond legal risk, there is reputational risk: studies such as the WebAIM Million show that the majority of competitors are still lagging behind. Those who act early gain trust and visibility, especially in public, cultural, and financial sectors.

Productivity (people & process)

Integrating Design for All into internal processes makes team work more efficient. An accessible design system, with rules and components already inclusive, reduces rework and shortens delivery times. W3C maturity models show how organizations that bring accessibility upstream in the design and development process reduce bottlenecks and downtime.

Customer Lifetime Value (LTV)

Finally, there is the dimension of loyalty. A product that can be used by more people, in more contexts and without effort, generates retention: the customer stays, recommends, and repurchases. In the FMCG world, P&G (Olay) and Unilever have shown how inclusive packaging improves brand loyalty and NPS, benefiting everyone, not only people with disabilities.

Would you like to learn more about our Design for All services?

find out

FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

1. How does Design for All improve product innovation?

Product accessibility is not just an ethical advantage: it is an opportunity for innovation. The World Economic Forum has found that including users with disabilities as testers enriches design, leading to new solutions for everyone. Products such as adjustable furniture and smart voice devices are the result of this inclusive co-design.

2. How does accessibility in cultural venues generate profit?

In accessible cultural spaces, the economic return is tangible: in terms of tourism, spending by visitors with disabilities and their companions accounts for up to 24% of overnight stays in the UK. This weight on the P&L shifts the balance towards accessible museums and institutions.

3. What impact does implementing accessibility in the physical product have on operating costs?

Designing for accessibility from the outset avoids costly rework. International studies show that correcting an error at an advanced stage can cost 6 to 100 times more than resolving it at the concept stage. The same applies to physical products: a washbasin or museum that is not designed for accessibility requires costly structural modifications, while inclusion at the outset costs on average less than 2% of the initial cost.

4. Does accessibility generate reputation?

Absolutely. Brand and marketing analysis from the State of Digital Accessibility Report shows that consumers reward inclusive brands: around 70% buy from balanced companies, and nearly 45% are willing to pay more for brands that promote inclusion.

5. Is there a B2B market dimension influenced by accessibility?

Yes. In business procurement, 73% of B2B decision-makers consider accessibility a requirement for purchasing digital products. This means that without accessibility, you lose strategic opportunities for collaboration and orders.

6. How much is the European market for accessibility software worth?

The European market for digital accessibility software reached USD 175.8 million in 2023 and is expected to grow to USD 305.6 million by 2030, with a CAGR of 8.2%.

7. Do you need someone specialised in accessibility and inclusion on your project team?

Yes. A dedicated figure (even part-time) ensures consistency and quality: they oversee standards, coordinate the team, reduce rework and ensure continuity over time. Without this role, accessibility remains fragmented and ineffective.

In Insights, you may be interested in the following articles:

Aug

Accessible Museums and Design for All: towards a new alliance between culture, people and design

Rethinking the museum: accessibility as a cultural paradigm

Museum accessibility can no longer be reduced to the mere elimination of physical obstacles or simple compliance with regulations. It now represents one of the most urgent epistemological challenges of contemporary cultural design. In this perspective, Design for All is not just a method but a vision: designing from diversity, taking the plurality of visitors as a generative value rather than an exception to be managed.

Over the past years, European museums have progressively broadened their understanding of accessibility, integrating sensory, cognitive, social and relational dimensions. Yet, the prevailing models often remain fragmented, oriented towards technical interventions and lacking a transferable methodological structure.

Check out the case study

Musei Accessibili | Rodighiero.Design for All | Kit di supporto alla visita del museo

Musei Accessibili | Rodighiero.Design for All | Ausili

Musei Accessibili | Rodighiero.Design for All | Cani guida per ciechi

An experience that will reshape the Italian landscape

By 2025, our portfolio will include a pioneering experience redefining how accessibility is conceived within museums. A systemic project, developed with 12 Italian museums, involving over 200 stakeholders — from users with disabilities to cultural operators, accessibility experts and public decision-makers.

Structured in six rigorous phases, this initiative has delivered unprecedented outcomes at both national and European level: structured mapping of needs, collective prioritisation, elaboration of meta-design solutions, development of operational guidelines, creation of accessible exhibition concepts, and validation through self-assessment tools.

What we have learned: from co-design to inclusive governance

The most profound lesson lies in recognising that accessibility is not a solution, but a process. A process beginning with genuine listening, strengthened through ethnographic research, and consolidated in tangible outputs transforming every stage of the museum ecosystem: from pre-visit communication to the visitor’s experience, staff training, and organisational practices.

Accessibility is never complete unless accompanied by organisational change. It is not the final product of a project but its generative matrix. It cuts across space, time, language and audience relationships. Accessibility is governance. Accessibility is culture.

Musei Accessibili | Rodighiero.Design for All | Realtà aumentata

Musei Accessibili | Rodighiero.Design for All | Interazione

Musei Accessibili | Rodighiero.Design for All | Famiglie e bambini

Towards the museum as an inclusive platform

The accessible museum, in its most advanced form, emerges as an adaptive cultural platform, generating meanings and relationships for those historically excluded from cultural participation. Within this framework, Design for All proves the most advanced approach to transform inclusion into a design, operational and communication driver.

progressive co-design models engaging diverse user groups;
multimodal narrative interfaces adapted to visitors’ sensory and cognitive profiles;
flexible exhibition formats evolving through continuous feedback;
qualitative and quantitative indicators to monitor perceived accessibility;
cross-media communication strategies designed for inclusive pre-visit engagement.

Musei Accessibili | Rodighiero.Design for All | Accessibilità diffusa

A systemic challenge: the time for accessibility is now

With the upcoming enforcement of the European Accessibility Act, cultural institutions must make a crucial choice: restrict themselves to minimal compliance, or embrace accessibility as a strategic lever.

Thanks to years of research and pioneering projects, our studio is ready to provide a vision and a method combining scientific rigour, design empathy and operational feasibility.

For further details on our methodology: Design for All process.

References and resources:

Jul

Design for All Italia: a new space in our portfolio

A new section has been added to our portfolio, dedicated to projects developed in collaboration with the association Design for All Italia. This page brings together concrete experiences, shaped through a structured process focused on impact: that of accessible design driven by process.

In recent years, our studio has contributed to design initiatives where accessibility is seen as a strategic driver for innovation. The case studies presented in this section are tangible examples of how Design for All can translate into functional, intelligent, and transferable solutions.

Among these projects are technological systems and retail spaces in which the user experience has been reimagined starting from real needs, usage evidence, and field observation. Our contribution has ranged from user research to usability testing, from co-design workshops to the validation of inclusive solutions.

One of the central goals was to ensure comprehensibility and comfort in the interaction with new technologies, avoiding the risk that innovation becomes a barrier. Self-checkout systems, smart devices, multisensory interfaces, and cashless environments were analyzed in depth, with the direct involvement of users with different profiles in terms of age, ability, and digital familiarity.

The new page is available at this link. It provides an overview of the project contexts, a summary of the activities carried out, and the benefits generated in each case. It’s a space that documents a process: accessible design as an evidence-based approach, capable of creating measurable value for businesses and improving the experience for everyone.

For those interested in exploring the scope and variety of the Design for All approach, we also recommend visiting the case studies published by Design for All Italia. A curated collection of projects, contexts and solutions that demonstrate how inclusive design can generate real impact across diverse sectors — from retail to cultural venues, from technology to services.

see our process

Mar

Accessibility and Inclusive Design: how to innovate in Product Design

Accessibility and Inclusive Design:
how to innovate in Product Design

Strategies and approaches for accessible design

In the contemporary design landscape, accessibility is no longer a mere design option, but an ethical and methodological imperative. Inclusive product design is an essential paradigm for the creation of products conceived for universal use, eliminating physical, cognitive and sensory barriers. Technological and methodological innovation plays a cardinal role in guaranteeing a design that contemplates human diversity as an intrinsic value and not as a constraint.

design for All services

The value of Inclusive Design

Integrating accessibility and innovation for a more effective product

A well-designed product must meet ergonomic, intuitive and usability criteria without requiring ex-post adjustments. This implies a design process that synergistically integrates accessibility and design, preventing obstacles and ensuring smooth and immediate interaction. The inclusive approach broadens the target market and increases the perceived value of the product, fostering user loyalty and establishing an innovative and transversal design language.

Principles and strategies of accessible Product Design

Key elements for inclusive and functional design

Innovation in accessible design is based on a few cornerstones:

Advanced and adaptive ergonomics: morphological and functional study aimed at minimising fatigue and maximising efficiency of use.
Multi-sensory usability: development of design solutions that guarantee natural and immediate interaction, regardless of the user’s skills.
Integration of assistive technologies and intelligent materials: use of state-of-the-art solutions to improve usability without compromising aesthetics or structure.

Inclusive design applications in our projects

Concrete experiences and results

Within the design experiences gained by Rodighiero.Design for All, accessibility is configured as a founding principle. Through careful research on materials, ergonomics and interfaces, each product is developed to meet advanced usability criteria, combining aesthetics and functionality in a harmonious balance. Our extensive experience has enabled us to develop products that have won accolades from the public, confirming the validity of our approach.

Thanks to the Design for All design process, characterised by an iterative and user-centred methodology, we have developed a strong design empathy, an essential element for the creation of accessible and effective solutions. Empathy is indeed a determining factor in understanding the real needs of users and translating these needs into concrete and functional innovations.

In our design approach, we constantly ask ourselves fundamental questions that every company should consider in order to develop truly inclusive products, not only from the point of view of usability, but also from an economic and strategic perspective:

Will the product be usable by everyone?
What difficulties might users experience?
What special needs or disabilities might prevent its use?
How much more comfortable will it be for everyone if it is accessible and inclusive?
How can we integrate accessibility without compromising design?
What technologies or materials can improve the user experience for a wider audience?
What competitive advantages can an accessible product offer in the market?
Can accessibility represent added value for the brand and corporate reputation?
How can inclusivity broaden the target market and increase sales?
What are the initial costs of accessible design compared to the long-term benefits?

let's talk about your project

Open

Co-design

Demì

Co-design · Design for All

Co-design · Design for All

Prime

Co-design · Design for All

Co-design · Design for All

Accessible museums

Co-design · Design for All

Zoomografo è uno zooming device per leggere e scrivere tutto stampanti in 3D.

Hackability

Co-design

Sherlock

Co-design · Design for All

Towards a new Product Design paradigm

The evolution of accessibility as a driver of innovation

The evolution of Product Design is moving towards an increasingly refined integration of accessibility and inclusiveness. Innovating in this area is not only a matter of satisfying regulatory and social requirements, but represents a competitive strategy capable of generating added value for companies and the community. Inclusive design is not just a trend, but a radical transformation in design culture.

Resources and insights

Mar

The removal of architectural barriers. Law 13 and the results achieved since its adoption

Law 13/89 in Italy represents a fundamental pillar for the removal of architectural barriers, aiming to guarantee the accessibility, visitability and adaptability of buildings for people with disabilities. This legislation, issued in compliance with Article 3 of the Italian Constitution, provides a series of technical prescriptions for new constructions, renovations and adaptations. As time has progressed, the law has undergone amendments and additions to improve and update the initial provisions. For example, Ministerial Decree No. 236 of 1989 established the detailed technical prescriptions for constructions, and there have also been revisions to the law as provisions allowing people with disabilities to proceed independently. In addition to the technical prescriptions, the law provides economic incentives, in the form of tax deductions, to encourage the adaptation of existing buildings to the new regulations. The implementation of this law has led to a greater awareness of the importance of accessibility and has encouraged the adaptation of living and public spaces to make them usable for all people, regardless of their abilities.

Law 13/89 and the subsequent Presidential Decree 503/96 in Italy represent national milestones in the elimination of architectural barriers and the inclusion of people with disabilities. While Law 13/89 established the basic requirements for accessibility in construction, Presidential Decree 503/96 introduced more detailed and specific regulations for the adaptation of existing infrastructure and the design of new facilities, both public and private, to ensure accessibility and independent use by persons with disabilities. The synergies between these regulations and European policies, such as the European Disability Strategy and the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), are obvious. The EU and its member states have an obligation to align their domestic laws with the international agreements they have ratified. This means that Italian legislation must not only comply with the minimum requirements set by its own national legislation but also adapt to international standards.

Looking at synergies in a broader context, a comparison with other countries might show different levels of progress and approaches to barrier removal. Some countries, for example, may have implemented even stricter standards or may have integrated assistive technology more extensively into their infrastructure. Others may be lagging behind in both legislation and implementation, thus providing a picture of how different governments are working to meet the needs of people with disabilities. An international comparison can reveal best practices and innovative approaches that could be adopted or adapted in Italy or other EU Member States. Furthermore, it offers a perspective on how different societies are moving towards full inclusion and accessibility, and what common challenges all countries still face.

Criticism of Law 13/89, without forgetting its benefits, mainly concerns the need for an update to reflect contemporary needs. It has been suggested that, rather than focusing only on the removal of existing physical barriers, a design approach should be adopted that eliminates barriers a priori, thinking of a broader and more diverse range of users. DM 236/89 provides detailed guidelines for inclusive design, emphasising accessibility, visitability and adaptability of spaces. However, there is a perception that such laws and regulations can lead to the creation of environments that meet legal requirements without necessarily considering individual needs in an integrated way, especially with regard to sensory and perceptual abilities and disabilities, and instead focusing almost exclusively on mobility.

In a hypothetical revision of laws and regulations, it would be appropriate to adopt a less imperative and more indicative regulatory language that opens up to innovative, expressive and inclusive design. The new legislative and regulatory references should act as a guiding framework, offering flexible guidelines that stimulate creative solutions, considering the heterogeneity of users’ functional and sensory needs. At the same time, it would be essential to implement an adaptable evaluation mechanism, based on quantitative and qualitative parameters, to appreciate the appropriateness of the project in relation to the diversity of human conditions and the specificities of the environmental and social context. Such a system should make it possible to balance the need for accessibility standards with the uniqueness of the requirements expressed by the various stakeholders that must be involved in the process, guaranteeing a simplified but effective verification of the design work.

Open

Co-design

Demì

Co-design · Design for All

Co-design · Design for All

Prime

Co-design · Design for All

Co-design · Design for All

European Accessibility Act: cosa cambia davvero per le aziende di product design

Cosa prevede l’EAA: una sintesi per i non-giuristi

Which products are affected — and which aren’t

The critical issue that many companies underestimate

From compliance to competitive advantage: the role of Design for All

What does it mean to design for the EAA from the very beginning?

Now is the time to act

Design for All: the bathroom as a contemporary inclusive system

From medical devices to contemporary design language

Adaptive systems: when the bathroom transforms

Smart bathrooms and reduced cognitive load

Beauty and inclusion: a mature convergence

Designing for human diversity

Participatory design for change: Francesco Rodighiero’s vision in his interview with Il Bagno Oggi e Domani

Design challenges and flexibility: rethinking accessible design

From the course “Designing for accessibility: from the spoon to the city”

Beyond method: a way of looking at the project

Flexibility as a design horizon

Communicating, orienting, welcoming

The value of training

The Design for All process as a strategic and design-driven lever

Every project requires a sense of responsibility capable of translating complexity into clear, inclusive, and long-lasting choices. The Design for All process makes it possible to align visions, methods, and tools toward solutions that are genuinely useful to people and places.

For those who wish to explore this approach and our dedicated consulting services, our areas of intervention are available to browse.

Cultural Accessibility: visible and invisible barriers in cultural venues

Reflections from the national course of the Foundation School of Cultural Heritage and Activities

Cultural accessibility as a systemic vision

Recognizing barriers beyond the obvious

The symbolic threshold of cultural places

Organizational barriers: what you can’t see

Social justice and economic barriers

Relational barriers: the most fragile dimension

Transforming spaces: appropriation, flexibility, and everyday life

Accessibility as an opportunity for cultural regeneration

The inclusion dividend: the economic benefits of Design for All

Accessibility ROI and business case: how Design for All generates measurable growth

Why now: the latent demand and macroeconomic drivers

The economics of digital: revenue, costs, and risk

Physical product and packaging: when “Inclusive” means “Premium”

Would you like to know how we work?

Architecture and cultural venues: marginal CAPEX, full value

How to measure the ROI of Design for All (operational framework)

Revenues (top line)

Costs (bottom line)

Risk (cost of risk)

Productivity (people & process)

Customer Lifetime Value (LTV)

Would you like to learn more about our Design for All services?

FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

1. How does Design for All improve product innovation?

2. How does accessibility in cultural venues generate profit?

3. What impact does implementing accessibility in the physical product have on operating costs?

4. Does accessibility generate reputation?

5. Is there a B2B market dimension influenced by accessibility?

6. How much is the European market for accessibility software worth?

7. Do you need someone specialised in accessibility and inclusion on your project team?

In Insights, you may be interested in the following articles:

Accessible Museums and Design for All: towards a new alliance between culture, people and design

Rethinking the museum: accessibility as a cultural paradigm

An experience that will reshape the Italian landscape

What we have learned: from co-design to inclusive governance

Towards the museum as an inclusive platform

A systemic challenge: the time for accessibility is now

Accessibility and Inclusive Design:how to innovate in Product Design

Strategies and approaches for accessible design

The value of Inclusive Design

Integrating accessibility and innovation for a more effective product

Principles and strategies of accessible Product Design

Key elements for inclusive and functional design

Inclusive design applications in our projects

Concrete experiences and results

Towards a new Product Design paradigm

The evolution of accessibility as a driver of innovation

Resources and insights

DESIGN FOR ALL | INCLUSIVE DESIGN | CO-DESIGN | PRODUCT DESIGN

Inspired by deep empathy for the needs of people with disabilities, for their aspirations and desires, we design products people love.

MILANO | MANTOVA | BRESCIA

Accessibility and Inclusive Design:
how to innovate in Product Design