Imagine you’re part of a growth team at an accounting-software company. You’re tasked with proving the ROI of your latest campaign—but there’s a catch. If your software isn’t compliant with regulations like the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), your company could face costly lawsuits. Liability risks aren’t just legal issues; they threaten the revenue and reputation growth teams aim to build.

Picture this: a competitor recently faced a $500,000 lawsuit due to ADA non-compliance. Their growth metrics took a huge hit, and stakeholders demanded a clear plan to reduce liability risks tied to accessibility. For entry-level growth professionals, understanding how to measure ROI while actively reducing liability risks isn’t obvious—but it’s critical.

Here’s a list of nine proven strategies to help you approach liability risk reduction from an ROI measurement perspective.

1. Track ADA Compliance as a Core Metric in Your Dashboards

Instead of treating ADA compliance as a legal checkbox, make it a growth metric. For instance, create a compliance scorecard that monitors the percentage of product features tested for accessibility.

Example: One accounting software company saw a 15% improvement in user retention after incorporating ADA compliance data into their growth dashboards, as compliance made the onboarding process smoother for all users.

How to start: Work with your product and legal teams to define key accessibility KPIs. Integrate these into your existing growth dashboards alongside typical metrics like CAC and LTV.

2. Use Customer Feedback Tools to Identify Accessibility Pain Points

Imagine if users with disabilities could easily report barriers they face in your product. Tools like Zigpoll, SurveyMonkey, or Typeform can help you gather direct feedback on accessibility.

Example: A growth team at a mid-sized SaaS firm used Zigpoll to collect targeted accessibility feedback, which led to a 20% decrease in support tickets related to ADA issues within three months.

Why it matters: This feedback becomes quantifiable data you can present to stakeholders, showing how addressing accessibility issues directly reduces customer churn and support costs.

3. Quantify Legal Risk Costs and Offset Them with ROI Projections

Growth teams often miss the opportunity to connect legal risks with potential revenue impacts. Picture calculating the expected cost of a liability event based on historical data—then showing how investments in ADA compliance reduce that risk.

A 2024 Forrester report estimated that ADA-related lawsuits in SaaS companies increased by 30% year-over-year, with average legal costs exceeding $350,000 per case.

Step-by-step:

• Estimate the probability of a lawsuit based on industry data.
• Calculate average legal costs and potential revenue lost during litigation.
• Compare these costs with the projected gains from increased user base due to compliance.

4. Prioritize Features for Accessibility Testing Based on Usage Data

Not all features hold the same growth potential or liability risk. Imagine your product analytics highlighting that 70% of revenue comes from just three core features.

Focus your accessibility testing efforts there first. This method increases ROI by addressing risk where it matters most.

Example: A startup reduced ADA-related complaints by 40% after prioritizing accessibility fixes in their invoicing and reporting features—the highest-used parts of their product.

5. Report Accessibility Impact in Regular Growth Updates

Picture your monthly growth meetings. Instead of just sharing revenue and conversion rates, you include accessibility impact metrics. This transparency builds stakeholder confidence.

Metrics can include:

• Number of accessibility issues resolved
• Percentage increase in users with disabilities
• Reduction in liability incidents or support tickets

This reporting shows that growth isn’t just about customer acquisition but sustainable revenue with minimized risk.

6. Build Cross-Team Collaboration to Improve ROI on Accessibility Efforts

Liability risk reduction isn’t a solo growth task. Imagine coordinating weekly check-ins with product, legal, and customer success teams to align on accessibility goals.

This collaboration ensures compliance efforts are prioritized, accelerating ROI. For example, working closely with legal can help growth teams anticipate upcoming ADA regulations, avoiding costly retrofits.

7. Use Cohort Analysis to Measure Retention of Users Affected by Accessibility

Imagine segmenting your users to understand how those with accessibility needs stay with your product versus the broader population.

Example: Using cohort analysis, one team found that accessible onboarding improvements increased retention among users with disabilities by 25%, which drove a 7% lift in overall subscription renewals.

This data ties accessibility actions directly to revenue growth and liability risk reduction.

8. Understand the Limits of Automated Accessibility Testing Tools

Automated tools like axe or WAVE provide quick audits but can miss nuanced ADA compliance issues, especially in complex accounting software workflows.

The downside: relying solely on automation can create a false sense of security. Manual testing and user testing with people with disabilities remain essential.

Recognizing these limits helps growth professionals set realistic expectations and report accurate compliance levels to stakeholders.

9. Calculate the ROI of Accessibility Investments Over Time

Imagine presenting a multi-year view: costs spent on accessibility improvements vs. savings from avoided lawsuits, reduced churn, and higher customer lifetime value.

Example: A company invested $100,000 in accessibility enhancements and avoided two lawsuits, saving $700,000 in legal and remediation costs over 18 months, while increasing revenue by 10%.

Showing this long-term ROI reinforces why liability risk reduction through accessibility is not just a compliance issue but a smart growth strategy.

Which Strategies Should You Tackle First?

Start by integrating ADA compliance metrics into your dashboards (#1) and gathering user feedback (#2). These quick wins provide immediate data to demonstrate impact.

Next, focus on prioritizing high-risk features (#4) and collaborating cross-functionally (#6) to amplify your efforts efficiently.

Finally, build your reporting and ROI models (#5 and #9) to sustain stakeholder buy-in and prove that reducing liability risks drives measurable growth.

Reducing liability risk while measuring ROI requires both quantitative rigor and strategic collaboration. By applying these nine strategies, entry-level growth professionals can confidently show how accessibility isn’t just a legal must—it’s a proven path to stronger, safer, and more sustainable growth.