Most businesses spend lots of time and money to attract customers. They ask questions like: “Who are my ideal customers?”, “What do they want and need from my business?”, “How do I create an experience that makes them want to return?”.
One major customer market that might not be part of the conversation is people with disabilities and their families.
A $675 Billion Consumer Market
The statistics tell the bigger story that’s worth looking at.
- More than 1 in 4 adults in the US has some type of disability. What does that mean for businesses? More than 70 million people with disabilities are shopping, dining, traveling, attending events, using professional services, and making decisions where they’ll spend their money.
- New 2026 research from the American Institutes for Research report that working age adults with disabilities have approximately $675 billion in disposable income and $107 billion in discretionary income.
(Sources: American Institutes for Research 2026 study (AIR) and CDC disability data . The AIR research conducted in partnership with Disability:In )
People with disabilities are customers that need the products and services local businesses offer. They shop in our stores. They visit salons, attend concerts, take classes, hire contractors, buy homes, and meet friends for coffee.
Disability is part of the human experience. It crosses age, income, profession, and just about every other demographic. Individuals with disabilities and their families aren’t a small niche market. The are significant participants in our communities and are ready to help local businesses thrive.
When communities and businesses create true accessibility, have a welcoming environment, and move beyond inclusion to creating a sense of belonging, everyone wins.
One Customer Can Influence Many
We rarely make decisions about where to eat, shop, or spend time alone. Our choices often include family and friends, which means one person’s experience can influence where many people spend their money.
When a business makes it easier for everyone to participate, good things happen:
- A family finds a restaurant everyone can enjoy together.
- An accessible website makes it easier for more people to become customers.
- A sensory-friendly event gives families more ways to take part.
- Helpful employees make customers feel welcome and respected.
- A positive experience gives people a reason to return and recommend the business to others.
People remember businesses where they feel welcome. They come back. They tell their friends and family.
That’s where accessibility, good customer service, and good business come together.
Sometimes It’s the Smallest Interaction
Sometimes, a small interaction can shape a person’s entire experience with a business. I’ve seen this firsthand with my adult son, who has Down syndrome.
At a restaurant where a server looked past him when it was time to order.
The hair stylist who made an assumption about his ability to communicate.
The person at checkout who questioned him using his own credit card.
Each time I was able to help them see him as a whole person, someone with value, a voice, and abilities. These small interactions gave each person an opportunity to look at him as part of the community and see beyond the diagnosis.
Welcoming people with disabilities and their families doesn’t have to be complicated. It often starts with a few simple actions.
- Speak directly to the person.
- Ask rather than assume.
- Give someone time to respond.
- Be willing to make a reasonable adjustment when it’s needed.
And when you’re unsure, simply ask, “How can I help?”
This is what good customer service looks like for people with disabilities, their families, and the community.
An Opportunity for McKinney Businesses
McKinney continues to grow, and with that growth comes more choices about where people eat, shop, gather, and spend their money.
Businesses compete every day to earn customer loyalty. Understanding the disability community is part of that opportunity. It doesn’t require knowing everything about every disability. And it doesn’t mean getting everything perfect.
It starts by recognizing that people with disabilities are already part of your customer base and asking whether their experience in your business is one that will make them want to return. Because when people can comfortably shop, dine, attend an event, take a class, or use a service, something else happens.
They’re invited to participate in community life, contribute, and find purpose and possibility.
And when more people can participate, we aren’t just building stronger businesses.
We’re building a stronger McKinney.
Consider This: Would a customer with a disability want to come back to my business?
Linda Bonner is founder of Linda Bonner Studios where advocacy meets creativity. She is a bestselling author, speaker, writer and parent coach as well as an artist and card designer. She designs experiences that bring people together and foster belonging and acceptance. You can follow her at www.lindabonnerstudios.com or on LinkedIn @Linda Bonner.
