[sugaroverflow]

I think accessibility is critical for websites, but whether or not it makes business sense depends on the organization and its audience.

I've worked for municipal government in the US and federal in Canada. In the US, following Section 508 and the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.0) was a requirement for all our projects. As a team, we also committed to writing at a Grade 5 or less reading level, as for many constituents of the city, English may not be their first language, and government services should be accessible to everyone. Having a website that people could use, interact with, complete tasks on, etc, meant that they were fewer phone calls, emails, and support requests for things like translation support, checking where the snowplows were, or renewing a dog license.

If you have a broad audience and a global audience, having an accessible website makes it possible for everyone to get the information or have the interaction you're looking for. In my experience sometimes that can be mean losing out on cutting-edge or super interactive features, but you get to ensure a baseline pleasant experience for everyone.