How to measure your space's accessibility: KPIs and tools

They measure how much of the environment is adapted. They are the easiest KPIs to implement and the first ones any organisation should track.

• % of audited spaces over the total network
• % of critical points with a deployed solution
• Number of languages served in digital signage
• % of digital content meeting WCAG 2.1 AA
• % of customer-facing employees trained in accessibility

They measure whether the deployed accessibility is actually used. They are the line between having and leveraging.

• Monthly reads of accessible codes
• Average time to complete critical tasks (purchase, boarding, enquiry)
• Staff-assistance requests vs. self-service
• Success rate in accessible flows vs. standard ones
• Most requested languages (guides prioritisation)

They measure the effect on the business and on people. They are the hardest but the ones that justify investment before the C-suite.

• NPS (Net Promoter Score) of users with disabilities
• Formal complaints related to accessibility
• WCAG / EN 301 549 compliance in external audits
• Conversion and drop-off in critical flows compared to customers without disabilities
• Market share among people with disabilities

For digital environments: WAVE, axe DevTools and Lighthouse for automated audits; screen-reader testing (NVDA, JAWS, VoiceOver) for qualitative validation. Automated audits catch between 30% and 40% of issues; the rest requires manual review and user testing.

For physical environments: in-person audits with real users, shadowing walkthroughs, and built-in analytics in platforms such as NaviLens to measure real usage in space. Anonymised thermal cameras let you measure flows and detect friction points without invading privacy.

Include 5-7 KPIs maximum, spread across coverage, usage and impact. Review it quarterly with leadership and publish annual results in the sustainability report or in a dedicated accessibility report. Transparency is the greatest incentive for teams to deliver.