Your brand says it cares about inclusion. But does your customer experience prove it? These five consultancies help you close the gap between intention and impact.
The growing demand for disability-inclusive brand expertise
Disabled consumers represent the world's largest minority, with over $13 trillion in annual disposable income. Yet many brands still struggle to include them meaningfully. The problem isn't intent—it's execution. Silos, budget cycles, and research inefficiencies stall progress. That's where specialized consultancies come in. They bring lived experience, accessibility expertise, and corporate know-how to help you move from performative gestures to systemic change. Whether you need brand strategy, accessibility audits, or inclusive research, the right partner can accelerate your journey.
How we evaluated these consultancies
We looked at five factors: service scope (do they cover strategy, research, and implementation?), pricing clarity (is their model transparent?), local fit (do they understand US market dynamics?), lived experience (are disabled people meaningfully involved?), and proven impact (do they have case studies or client outcomes?). Each consultancy brings a different strength. Some excel at deep accessibility audits. Others shine in brand strategy or community engagement. We noted where each stood out—not to rank them against each other, but to help you find your best match.
Here's a quick snapshot of each consultancy, from largest global players to niche specialists.
| Provider | Best For |
|---|---|
| Purple Goat | Full-service inclusive marketing campaigns |
| The Barrier-Free Brand Studio | Marianne Waite | Embedding inclusion into large organizations |
| O'Herlihy Access Consultancy | Accessibility audits and built environment compliance |
| World Institute on Disability | Lived-experience research and UX testing |
| ConsultAbility | Arts and culture accessibility consulting |
The 5 consultancies in focus
#1 Purple Goat
A screenshot of the Purple Goat website.
Purple Goat is a global inclusive marketing agency that specializes in connecting brands with disabled consumers. They offer inclusive brand strategy, influencer marketing, social-first media production, and DEI consulting. Their team uses consumer research and insights to craft authentic narratives that resonate. If you need a full-service partner to build campaigns that genuinely include disabled audiences, Purple Goat is a strong choice. They've worked with major brands and understand how to scale inclusion across channels.
#2 The Barrier-Free Brand Studio | Marianne Waite
A screenshot of The Barrier-Free Brand Studio website.
The Barrier-Free Brand Studio helps large organizations embed disability inclusion into their brands and customer experiences. Founded by Marianne Waite, the studio combines corporate know-how with paid insight from disabled people and AI-accelerated methods. Their Barrier-Free Brand Experience™ approach closes the gap between intention and impact. They understand how decisions get made inside big companies—and how to move them. If you're stuck in silos or pilot purgatory, this studio can help you scale inclusion faster.
#3 O'Herlihy Access Consultancy
A screenshot of the O'Herlihy Access Consultancy website.
O'Herlihy Access Consultancy (OHAC) provides accessibility and disability inclusion consultancy with a focus on the built environment. They offer access audits, accessibility strategies, policy development, and training. Their expertise spans universal design, compliance with regulations like the European Accessibility Act, and stakeholder engagement. If your organization needs to make physical spaces or digital services accessible, OHAC delivers practical, compliance-driven solutions. They work across all industries and have a strong track record in Ireland and beyond.
#4 World Institute on Disability
A screenshot of the World Institute on Disability website.
The World Institute on Disability (WID) is a nonprofit that centers the lived experiences of people with disabilities in accessibility and universal design. They offer surveys, focus groups, UX testing with disabled users, training, and recommendations. Their services help companies and organizations of all sizes improve products and services. If you need research-backed insights directly from disabled people, WID provides a trusted, mission-driven approach. They also work on community inclusion, emergency resilience, and global disability rights.
#5 ConsultAbility
A screenshot of the ConsultAbility website.
ConsultAbility is a disability inclusion and accessibility consultancy focused on arts and culture organizations. They help venues, theaters, and cultural institutions remove barriers for disabled artists, staff, and audiences. Services include space assessments, customized planning, and standardized workshops. Their work is led by lived experience and deep expertise both onstage and backstage. If you're in the arts sector and want to go beyond compliance to create truly inclusive spaces, ConsultAbility is a specialized partner.
How to choose the right partner
Start by defining your biggest gap. Is it brand strategy? Accessibility compliance? Research with disabled consumers? Your answer will narrow the field. Next, consider your sector. Arts organizations may benefit from a specialist like ConsultAbility, while global brands might need Purple Goat's campaign expertise. Look for lived experience—are disabled people paid contributors or just consulted? Finally, check pricing clarity. Some consultancies offer project-based fees, while others work on retainers. Ask for case studies and references. The right partner will meet you where you are and help you move forward.
Accelerating inclusion with AI and automation
AI can speed up inclusion work—but only if it's used responsibly. The Barrier-Free Brand Studio pairs AI with paid human insight to avoid bias and move faster. You can use AI to audit digital content for accessibility, analyze customer feedback at scale, or generate inclusive language suggestions. But always validate with disabled users. Automation should augment, not replace, lived experience. Start small: pilot an AI tool for alt-text generation or sentiment analysis, then measure impact. The goal is to remove friction so your team can focus on systemic change.
Moving from intention to impact
Inclusion isn't a checkbox—it's a journey. The five consultancies here offer different paths, but they share a commitment to closing the gap for disabled consumers. Whether you need a full-service agency, a strategic partner, or a niche specialist, you now have a starting point. Remember: the best partner is one who understands your organization's unique barriers and brings both expertise and empathy. Take the first step. Your customers are waiting.