New research reveals that people with disabilities now account for nearly 7% of US disposable income, with $107 billion in annual discretionary spending, highlighting one of the world’s largest – and most overlooked – consumer markets.
The US disability consumer market has grown to an estimated $675 billion, according to a major new study from Disability:IN and the American Institutes for Research (AIR), highlighting a significant commercial opportunity for businesses that invest in accessibility, inclusive products and disability-focused customer strategies.
The report, The Next Growth Market: Inside the $675 Billion Consumer Opportunity, examines the purchasing power of working-age adults with disabilities (aged 16–64) and argues that businesses across every sector stand to benefit by designing products, services and customer experiences that better meet the needs of disabled consumers.
The findings build on growing evidence that disability inclusion is not only a social imperative but a commercial one. As previously reported, research has estimated the global disability market to be worth US$13 trillion in annual spending power, making it one of the world’s largest consumer segments. Yet many organisations continue to overlook disabled consumers when designing products, services and customer experiences.
The new research updates AIR’s landmark 2018 report, A Hidden Market: The Purchasing Power of Working-Age Adults with Disabilities, and finds that growing employment among disabled people is helping drive record levels of disposable and discretionary income, creating new opportunities for economic growth and innovation.
GROWING DISABILITY CONSUMER MARKET
The report estimates that the disability consumer market is now worth $675 billion, equivalent in size to the global beauty and cosmetics industry. Researchers found that:
- People with disabilities now account for almost 7% of total US disposable income.
- Annual discretionary income across the disability community has reached $107 billion.
- Approximately 10% of working-age people with disabilities have an average $40,000 in discretionary spending power each year.
- Those consumers have an average pre-tax income of $135,805, reflecting a growing segment with significant purchasing power.
According to the report, increasing labour market participation among disabled people is expected to continue strengthening consumer spending over the coming years.
ACCESSIBILITY: A BUSINESS GROWTH STRATEGY
Jill Houghton, President and CEO of Disability:IN, said the findings demonstrate that disability inclusion is increasingly becoming a commercial imperative rather than simply a corporate responsibility initiative. “Our report validates that the once best kept secret in business is no longer,” said Houghton. “The opportunity presented by the $675 billion disability consumer market is enormous, especially for businesses that develop accessible products, emerge as the brand of choice by capturing everyday consumer dollars and include people with disabilities in their go-to-market strategies.”
The study argues that misconceptions around disability and income have often led organisations to overlook one of America’s largest consumer markets. Researchers also note that the report uses the American Community Survey (ACS) definition of disability, covering vision, hearing, mobility, self-care, cognition and independent living.
Importantly, it does not include many people living with chronic illnesses, cancer, neurodivergence, learning disabilities or mental health conditions, meaning the overall disability-related consumer market is likely to be substantially larger than the report measures.
EMPLOYMENT GAINS DRIVING PURCHASING POWER
The report highlights growing employment among disabled people as one of the biggest drivers behind rising spending power. Although significant income gaps remain, researchers say improving labour market participation is increasing financial independence and expanding consumer demand. The study found that:
- Average disposable income for people with disabilities is approximately $40,000 per year.
- Average disposable income for people without disabilities is around $68,000 annually.
As employment opportunities continue to improve, researchers believe the disability economy will continue to expand. The findings also reinforce previous studies showing that employment barriers remain widespread. Research has found that more than half of disabled employees believe their disability makes it harder to progress in their careers, while many continue to fear disclosing invisible disabilities at work because of stigma and discrimination.
Kathleen Murphy, Managing Researcher at AIR and lead author of the report, said businesses have a clear opportunity to reach an underserved customer base. “People with disabilities represent a powerful segment of the marketplace, with significant opportunity for business performance. In many states, a significant share of this population has discretionary income, giving companies a clear path to expand their reach, capture new demand, and drive sustained growth.”
TECH ACCELERATING DISABILITY INCLUSION
The report also points to rapid advances in accessible technology as another factor helping strengthen economic participation. Growing adoption of mainstream accessibility features, including assistive AI, screen readers, live captioning, remote accessibility technologies, is making products and services more accessible to a wider range of consumers while enabling greater workforce participation.
Researchers cite wider employment trends, including LinkedIn’s research on disability and employment, suggesting that record numbers of disabled people entering the workforce will continue expanding the disability consumer market across industries and regions.
Martin McKay, Executive Chairman and Founder of Everway, said removing barriers benefits both businesses and society. “One thing is clear: when barriers are removed, neurodivergent individuals and people with disabilities can participate, progress, and contribute at a higher level,” noted McKay. “Inclusion is no longer a side initiative; it’s becoming a strategic priority that reflects how this progress increases economic participation.”
DISABILITY INCLUSION RECOMMENDATIONS FOR BUSINESSES
The report outlines several recommendations for organisations seeking to better serve disabled consumers. They include:
- Integrate disability into customer research, product development and investment strategies.
- Develop wealth-building products and services that reflect the changing income profiles of disabled consumers.
- Partner directly with disabled customers to co-create marketing campaigns and brand strategies.
- Increase investment through disability-focused funds alongside broader investment portfolios.
- Embed accessibility into consumer and enterprise technology to strengthen customer loyalty, win contracts and improve long-term commercial performance.
The recommendations echo wider calls across the disability inclusion movement for organisations to embed accessibility into leadership, strategy and innovation rather than treating it as a compliance exercise.
DISABILITY INCLUSION OPPORTUNITIES
The report reinforces a consistent message emerging across Fair Play Talks’ disability coverage: organisations that view disability through the lens of opportunity rather than obligation are better positioned to innovate, attract talent and reach new customers.
Business Disability Forum has previously warned that disabled consumers often feel overlooked and disempowered by inaccessible products and services, while research has also highlighted the barriers disabled entrepreneurs continue to face in securing investment and growing businesses. The findings also support recent analysis by Fair Play Talks exploring why leadership commitment remains critical to building genuinely disability-inclusive organisations capable of delivering better outcomes for employees, customers and society.
Closing the report, Houghton said the momentum behind disability inclusion shows no signs of slowing. “If the momentum achieved over the past 10 years is any indication of what the future holds, then we can project with confidence that the favourable trends identified in our research will bear brighter tomorrows for the disability community, businesses at large and the US economy overall.”
She added: “We’ve taken a major step forward in both defining and better understanding the opportunity presented to businesses in connecting with an enormous consumer market, one that touches every industry, product and service offered – creating enormous benefit to all.”
GUIDANCE FOR EMPLOYERS AND BUSINESSES
The report and experts recommend the following:
- Treat accessibility as a commercial growth strategy as well as an inclusion priority.
- Involve disabled people throughout product design, marketing and customer research.
- Invest in accessible digital platforms and customer experiences.
- Build disability confidence throughout recruitment, leadership and career development.
- Measure disability inclusion across both workforce and customer strategies.
- Recognise that accessible products frequently improve experiences for all customers, strengthening innovation, loyalty and long-term growth.
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