The Hidden Cost of Ignoring Video Accessibility

The cost of audio description is easy to measure. The cost of not providing it is harder to quantify — but it is real, growing, and increasingly unavoidable.

The Legal Landscape

Lawsuits Are Accelerating

Web and digital accessibility lawsuits in the United States have grown dramatically:

• 2023: ~4,250 federal lawsuits filed
• 2024: ~4,800 federal lawsuits filed
• 2025: Over 5,100 federal lawsuits filed (20%+ increase YoY)

Video accessibility is increasingly targeted. Plaintiffs are filing claims specifically about missing audio description, not just missing captions.

Penalties Are Substantial

Settlement Costs

Most accessibility lawsuits settle before trial. Average settlement costs:

• Small organizations: $10,000–50,000
• Large organizations: $50,000–500,000+
• Class actions: $1,000,000+

Plus legal fees, which typically add 50–100% to settlement costs.

The Revenue You Are Missing

Unserved Audience

An estimated 2.2 billion people worldwide have vision impairment. In developed markets:

• US: 12 million people aged 40+ with vision impairment
• EU: 30 million people with vision impairment
• UK: 2 million people living with sight loss

These are potential subscribers, viewers, and customers who will choose accessible alternatives when your content is not accessible.

Subscriber Churn

Research consistently shows that accessibility-conscious consumers:

• Actively research platform accessibility before subscribing
• Switch to competitors that offer better accessibility features
• Influence family and friends’ platform choices

Content Licensing Limitations

Content without AD is increasingly excluded from distribution opportunities:

• EU-based distributors require EAA compliance
• Public sector licensing (education, government) requires ADA compliance
• Premium distribution partners audit accessibility as part of content acceptance

Reputational Risk

Public Advocacy

Disability advocacy organizations are increasingly vocal about media accessibility:

• Regular audits and public reporting on platform accessibility
• Social media campaigns highlighting inaccessible content
• Testimony at regulatory hearings naming non-compliant organizations

ESG and Corporate Reporting

Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) frameworks increasingly include disability inclusion metrics. Investors and analysts are examining:

• Accessibility commitments and measurable progress
• Accessibility spending as a percentage of technology investment
• Compliance posture and legal exposure

The Compounding Effect

The cost of non-compliance compounds over time:

1. Year 1: Growing back-catalog of inaccessible content
2. Year 2: First complaints or lawsuits; reactive AD production at premium prices
3. Year 3: Regulatory enforcement begins; penalties assessed; remediation demanded
4. Year 4+: Class action risk; reputational damage; competitive disadvantage becomes structural

Every year of inaction increases the back-catalog that needs AD, the regulatory exposure, and the competitive gap with organizations that invested earlier.

The Alternative

AI-powered audio description eliminates the “it’s too expensive” objection:

• Cost: 80–90% less than manual AD
• Speed: Process entire libraries in months, not years
• Scale: Handle ongoing new content as part of the production pipeline
• Multi-language: Serve multiple markets from a single workflow

The investment required to achieve comprehensive accessibility has never been lower. The risk of not investing has never been higher.

The question is not “Can we afford to add audio description?” It is “Can we afford not to?”