Disability co-design: make your service easier to use
Co-design Readiness: How to make your business more inclusive and accessible to people with a disability
By Aviva Beecher Kelk · Originally published 23 November 2016
For providers: involve participants before choosing the fix
Choose one point where people struggle to use your service, such as booking or changing a visit. Ask participants how they experience it before deciding what to change. Offer accessible ways to contribute and explain what influence their input will have. The NDIA engagement framework places lived experience at the centre of design.
Turn the three Cs into a small test. Communication: can someone understand what happens next? Collaboration: did their input change the proposal? Consistency: does the new process still work when another staff member uses it? Try it with the people affected and tell them what changed. Asking for feedback once does not establish that a process is accessible.
Original article and dated context
This post is the second of a three-part series published on the Marketing Success blog. You can read the first and third posts here and here.
As the founder of Clickability, I think ‘co-design’ is really important to any successful business model; and as a social worker, I believe in collaboration as the cornerstone of effective empowerment practices.
Marketing experts in the USA have cottoned onto the fact that there are 56 million Americans with disability, and that they have a combined disposable income of between $US220 and $US544 billion, depending on what you read.
[Clickability update, September 2026: The figures in this paragraph and the teenage-market comparison below are dated American estimates from the original article. They are not current Australian demand or NDIS spending figures.]
Let’s just put that in context. You know how many teen magazines there are? The _Dollys _and the Girlfriends of the world? The same marketing experts estimate the disposable income available to the teenage market at $US67 billion – that’s about a third of the size of their disability market.
So where am I going with this?
Well, the same experts list ways to tap into the disability market. There are certain things that are quite simple, such as ensuring marketing materials are accessible to the people you’re targeting. This means having marketing collateral available in a variety of different formats and media.
They also point out the benefits of using images of real people with disability as opposed to actors or models pretending to be disabled; making sure the images are as diverse as the community they’re appealing to; and using mainstream as well as disability-specific channels.
And then we hit gold. To be really successful, companies are advised to consult people with disability when creating the marketing campaigns, be genuinely involved in the community itself, and make sure the company is inclusive as well as accessible. That’s right: including people with disability on the marketing team and staff groups leads to better marketing results.
This is relevant to my series of blogs because at Clickability, when we audited our reviews, we found that service providers’ internal processes deeply affect their customers’ experience.
[Clickability update, September 2026: This refers to Clickability’s early review audit, not a current representative study. The findings can inform questions to ask your own service users.]
Among reviews that included criticisms, a common theme was the negative impact of internal processes on the customer. Customers in particular point to effects of process and policy on the consistency and flexibility of services received. They perceive these problems as poor customer service.
This suggests service users think of themselves as customers and expect a level of service comparable with other sectors. It also means that if you’re treating your staff badly, or you don’t have your administration processes sorted out, or your IT system doesn’t work… your customers feel it on the front end. And I don’t need to tell you that’s not good for business!
The final themes that came out in our audit were what we’ve started referring to as “The Three Cs”: communication, collaboration, consistency. The message from consumers was, “When you communicate with us effectively, transparently and respectfully; when you collaborate with us to understand our needs; and when do both of those things on a consistent basis… those are the things that make us happy, and make us want to stay with you and endorse you to others.”
We continue to look at what’s important to consumers at Clickability – keep in touch with us to hear more.
Aviva Beecher Kelk
Aviva Beecher Kelk is co-founder and co-director of Clickability. She’s really interested in the interaction between economic and social issues. She’s been told on more than one occasion that she thinks too much.
Clickability editorial update: September 2026
What participants can ask when a provider invites feedback
Ask what the provider is deciding, how you can participate and when you will hear the outcome. You can explain a specific barrier without sharing your whole personal history. Say whether you need a different format, more time or a support person.
A useful response explains what will change, what cannot change and why. Keep a copy of the issue you raised so you can check whether the promised improvement happened. Providers should respect privacy and informed choice. See the Commission’s rights and responsibilities standards.
A survey can gather views. Co-design involves people affected by a service in shaping the process or decision, with a clear explanation of their influence. Official guidance
Where should a provider start an accessibility improvement?
Start with a real barrier reported by people using the service. Ask what happens, test a change with them and explain the outcome. Official guidance
Choose a provider who listens to what matters
Compare Clickability profiles, ratings and reviews when looking for your next service. Start a request with the communication and access needs that matter to you.
