Hey there, Coworking was built on the idea that everyone should have access to a great place to work. Ramps and wide doorways are the foundation of that, but accessibility also lives in your website, your marketing, and how your space feels to people who think and work differently. So let’s look at a few of those areas. Here are five things you can start with. These cover a mix of small tweaks and bigger shifts. |
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1. The number that should change how you think about your space ♿ Over 70 million US adults reported having a disability in 2022, according to the CDC. That's more than 1 in 4. The EU puts the figure at 87 million citizens. Globally, the WHO estimates 1.3 billion people live with disability. Remote work opened doors for many disabled professionals, and coworking is the natural next step. But only if your space, your website, and your marketing actually welcome them in. For many people with disabilities, isolation is a daily reality. A workspace that's physically accessible but also genuinely welcoming can make a real difference to someone's sense of belonging, confidence, and mental wellbeing. That's something coworking is uniquely positioned to offer. |
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2. Your website might be turning people away before they visit 🖥️ Nearly 97% of the internet is still inaccessible to people with disabilities, according to Siteimprove. If your booking system doesn't work with a screen reader, or your contrast ratios make text hard to read, you're losing potential members at the first click. The good news: some of the most impactful fixes are simple and free. - Add alt text to every image
- Keep text contrast at a minimum of 4.5:1 (that means enough difference between your text color and background color so it's easy to read, even for people with low vision)
- Make sure your site works with keyboard navigation
This alone is enough to differentiate you from most spaces out there. And there is another upside. Accessible websites tend to perform better on Google. Many accessibility best practices overlap with what search engines already reward, like clear structure, readable content, and good user experience. So improving accessibility often improves your rankings at the same time. |
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TIP: Use axe DevTools (free) to scan your website for accessibility issues. It flags missing alt text, low contrast, and broken keyboard navigation in seconds. Georgi mentioned this tool in the SEO newsletter too, and it's still one of the best free tools out there. |
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3. Your marketing photos are probably excluding people 📸 Here's a pattern worth noticing: coworking marketing imagery tends to center on young, able-bodied professionals. Coworking Resources flagged this as one of the biggest unintentional barriers in the industry. You don't need to overhaul your entire image library overnight. Start by including people with visible and invisible disabilities in your next photo shoot or stock image selection. Show them working, collaborating, and having coffee. Not as a statement. Just as members. |
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The line between performative and genuine is simpler than you think: if the representation in your marketing reflects the experience someone will actually have when they walk through your door, it's authentic. If your photos show a wheelchair user at a desk but your space doesn't have step-free access, that's a problem. Match the image to the reality, and if the reality isn't there yet, start with the space first. |
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4. Neurodivergent-friendly design is good design for everyone 🧠 Coworking spaces already have an advantage here: flexibility is built into the model. Quiet zones, bookable focus rooms, adjustable lighting, and simple signage indicating "deep focus mode" all help. So does announcing events or maintenance disruptions in advance, which gives members time to plan around their own energy needs. |
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5. New accessibility laws to know about (especially in the EU) ⚖️ The European Accessibility Act started enforcement in June 2025. It covers digital products and services, including websites and apps, ranging from € 5,000 to over € 1 million, depending on the country, with some member states adding daily penalties until the issue is fixed. In the US, the Department of Justice confirmed that business websites count as "places of public accommodation" under the ADA. What does this mean for you as an operator? If your website has the kinds of barriers we covered in section 2, that's exactly what these laws are targeting. If you haven't run an audit yet, the axe DevTools tip from section 2 is a good starting point. |
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How Cobot Helps 🧡 If you're a Cobot customer, your public-facing pages (bookings, logins, plan sign-ups) are built to meet WCAG 2.1 accessibility standards, including alt text support, color contrast compliance, and full keyboard navigation. You can read more in our Accessibility Statement. |
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Final Thoughts Accessibility isn't a single project with a finish line. Think of it as a continuum: every small change makes your space, your website, and your marketing more welcoming to more people. Pick one item from the list above and start there. |
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The topic for next week is: "A Big Chain Just Moved In Next Door. Now What?" 🤔 |
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If you missed last week's newsletter, check it out here: |
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Reply to this email if you have any questions, disagree with something I said, or have a suggestion for a collaboration/future topic. I'm always happy to stay in touch. |
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See you next Wednesday and happy coworking! 🥳 |
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Berlin , 12059, Germany |
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Cobot Coworking Software, 2026 |
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