This September, as we recognize Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) Awareness Month, I reflect on my 21-year journey as a quadriplegic and power wheelchair user—and on what businesses can learn from it.
In 2004, a wave slammed me headfirst into the ocean floor, leaving me a C4–5 quadriplegic and changing my life forever. I pushed forward, graduated magna cum laude from law school, and became a trial attorney dedicated to fighting for clients with catastrophic injuries. Today, aside from my role as accessiBe’s Community Relations Manager, I run two nonprofits and serve on the board of the United Spinal Association, working to empower and advocate for the spinal cord injury community.
Accessibility is not just about ramps or compliance. It’s about readiness. It’s about being prepared so that customers, employees, and community members with disabilities can fully participate in what you have to offer. Because in accessibility, the question isn’t if barriers exist, but how many—and how prepared businesses are to remove them.
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) transformed everyday life: curb cuts, lifts, accessible restrooms, and—since the mid-1990s—digital access. All of these are areas that American businesses must comply with, but the disability community will tell you: Compliance is the floor, and lived experiences remind us how much further we need to go. Just as curb cuts transformed sidewalks, websites must be designed to welcome all customers. That’s where businesses can take action right now.
Use cases for accessibility
Let’s take the internet as an example. The Department of Justice has long held that websites and digital services fall under the ADA’s requirements. In 2024, the DOJ issued a final rule that for the first time set clear technical standards, reinforcing that websites and mobile apps must be accessible. When you’re using assistive technology, but can’t select the checkout button- that business isn’t prepared to take every customer’s purchasing power (which when calculated for the broader disability community and their families can amount to $13 Trillion).
Another area that is close to my heart is air travel. Every month, nearly 1,000 mobility devices are lost, damaged, or destroyed by airlines. I’ve experienced this firsthand—once stranded on a plane for 90 minutes when my wheelchair was misplaced to having the entire arm of the wheelchair and joystick ripped off completely.
These experiences are not an inconvenience; they are a crisis - and businesses can learn from them: when you’re unprepared, you create a crisis for your customers.
What business readiness looks like
This July marked the 35th anniversary of the ADA, a moment to celebrate progress and push for continued readiness.Thankfully, there are bright spots that show what’s possible when businesses plan ahead, and technology is a big part of that transformation.
- accessiBe leveraged accessScan, a free tool to assess the accessibility of 10,000 travel websites. The findings were presented during United Spinal’s annual conference, alongside speakers from Airbnb and United Airlines. This webinar highlighted the power of accessibility across industries, including physical and digital accessibility. Another key takeaway was that the travel experience should be accessible already from the booking process to accommodate travelers and create a better user experience for everyone.
- United Airlines recently launched adigital wheelchair sizing tool with input from community members of United Spinal Association, the largest advocacy nonprofit for wheelchair users in America. Travelers can enter the dimensions of their wheelchair and instantly see if it fits upright in the cargo hold. This first-of-its-kind innovation sets a best practice that other airlines should adopt. It’s a simple solution that can prevent thousands of wheelchairs from being tipped, damaged, or destroyed.
- United Spinal’s Accessibility Services Department for decades has helped businesses nationwide evaluate and improve accessibility in buildings, event venues, and public spaces.
These examples demonstrate what readiness looks like: anticipating needs, creating solutions, and partnering with the disability community to hear directly from them.
Why businesses should care
Accessibility is an opportunity for businesses to:
- Improve customer loyalty: Customers with disabilities, and their families, are some of the most loyal when they feel welcomed.
- Strengthen their brand reputation: Businesses that prioritize accessibility strengthen their brand and stand out in crowded markets.
- Reduce risk: The DOJ has long held that the ADA applies to websites, and the 2024 final rule now sets clear technical standards. Businesses that fail to make their digital properties accessible face heightened legal exposure and enforcement.
By embracing accessibility, businesses can lead by example.
Your readiness checklist
Spinal Cord Injury Awareness Month is the perfect time to assess where you stand. Here’s how businesses can get started:
- Start your digital accessibility journey: Run a free scan to see where your website stands.
- Evaluate physical spaces: Connect with United Spinal Association’s Accessibility Services to ensure your locations and events are accessible.
- Train your team: Educate employees about accessibility needs and disability awareness.
- Speak up: Push back against rollbacks of disability protections that put independence and dignity at risk.
Air travel, hospitality, websites, storefronts—every business touchpoint should be accessible. Because accessibility isn’t charity or compliance—it’s readiness for the future.
As we mark Spinal Cord Injury Awareness Month, let’s recommit to making accessibility part of how we do business. The companies that prepare today will not only open doors for millions of people with disabilities—they’ll also strengthen their brands, earn customer loyalty, and lead with impact.
Accessibility benefits everyone. Let’s ensure it’s built into every experience—online and offline.
Support United Spinal Association this SCI Awareness Month to advance advocacy, fuel life-changing programs, and provide resources for the SCI community.
