Fashioneyesta conducted a survey of 102 disabled readers and responses found:
95.1 percent of disabled people felt there were not enough accessible beauty brands.
93.1 percent of disabled people answered that they didn’t feel that the beauty industry catered to them.
88.3 percent of disabled people said they didn’t feel that there was enough disability representation in the beauty industry
In 2018, the global cosmetics market was estimated by Statista to value at 507.8 billion U.S. dollars according to statistics, and is set to reach 758.4 billion U.S. dollars by 2025.
But how much of this multi-billion dollar industry has been made to fit the needs of consumers living with disabilities?
Disabled people make up 17 percent of the world’s population, with a total of 1.9 billion people being disabled, according to statistics from the disability charity Purple.
Taylor Notcutt, 28, browsing a wall of braille beauty products
According to Purple, the combined global spending power of disabled people and their families is worth a total of $8 trillion, which is estimated to increase by 14 percent every year.
However, only around 10 percent of businesses have a “targeted strategy” to accommodate disabled people, according to Purple.
Over the last few years there have been advancements made in the beauty industry to increase awareness, exposure and accessibility for disabled people.
In 2021, Olay developed a new Easy-Open lid face cream for disabled people to open more easily, which included braille for blind readers.
In 2019, U.S. pop singer Selena Gomez hit the market with beauty brand Rare Beauty, featuring easy-open lids and applicators inspired by Selena’s own struggles with lupus, and is one of Space NK’s top-selling brands.
But, how do disabled people really feel about the beauty industry? In a survey, Fashioneyesta asked its disabled readers to answer honestly how they felt.
Findings have showed that over 90 percent of disabled people surveyed did not feel that the beauty industry is doing enough to cater to them.
What disabled people said…
In a survey, 102 disabled Fashioneyesta readers between the ages of 13 and 65 were asked how they felt about the beauty industry.
95.1 percent of disabled people said they felt that were were not enough inclusive or accessible beauty brands currently on the market.
93.1 percent of disabled people answered that they didn’t feel that the beauty industry catered to them and their needs, whilst only 6.9 percent did.
Despite some advancements made within the beauty industry in recent years, from advancements in technology to improve access, to inclusively designed products and some increased visibility of disabled people in brand campaigns, many disabled people feel that this is not enough.
The research conducted showed that the vast majority of disabled people have reported not being able to shop for products either online or in-store due to inaccessibility.
Disabled and chronically ill people…
Do you feel that the beauty industry is accessible and inclusive to you as a disabled person?
Take this quiz below to see how much you know about accessible beauty.
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Barriers for disabled people shopping online
According to the disability charity Purple, disabled people have the combined spending power of £17.1 billion online. However, 4.3 million disabled people have clicked away from a website as a result of inaccessibility.
In a survey conducted by the charity, it revealed that 73 percent of potential disabled customers have experienced barriers on over a quarter of websites they visited.
When asked about their experience of online shopping for beauty products, 52 percent of disabled Fashioneyesta readers said that they had not been able to purchase a beauty product due to a website being inaccessible.
According to the survey findings, one of the most difficult areas found by disabled people shopping online was finding the right shade, followed by finding a description of the product and navigating a website.
For some disabled shoppers like Tania Dutton, 37, shopping online has become a daily struggle, as more websites continue to implement digital elements to make their websites appealing for consumers.
Tania, a content creator and disability advocate, has described feeling “isolated” by the beauty industry, and has even stopped shopping online altogether as a result of poor accessibility.
She lives with chronic complex photosensitive migraines and Irlen syndrome amongst other illnesses, and can find looking at things like flashing images, fast moving videos and pop-ups a struggle when shopping online.
Her condition, which is aggravated by harsh visual stimulation, can be worsened by shopping online when websites implement the use of flashing images, videos and pop-ups, which Tania has found to be more of a struggle during the lead up to Christmas.
In an interview, Tania described one example of online accessibility where she was forced to click away from a website after being unable to access it, thus being unable to shop with the brand.
Tania Dutton, 37, (above)
Tania said: “I remember one time where I wanted to buy a Christmas gift for my friend and I went onto the website and couldn’t even get past the homepage.
“This was because the homepage had used a falling snow effect over their homepage and I just couldn’t get past it.
“So I couldn’t order that gift for my friend. Things like that, that brands don’t even think of, can really impact someone like me.”
“I feel like the beauty industry is getting worse for people like me.
“The industry is becoming much more focused towards self-serving and digital means to sell products, and over time I’ve found it harder and harder to be able to shop, to the point where there have been times I’ve not been able to shop for products at all.”
Tania Dutton
Barriers to in-store shopping
54.4 percent of disabled Fashioneyesta readers surveyed answered that they had not been able to purchase a beauty product due to a store being inaccessible.
66 out of 102disabled Fashioneyesta readers answered they struggled with locating products in store and 63 said they struggled to navigate around the store.
60 disabled readers responded that they had experienced issues finding a shop assistant or asking for help and 48 said they had struggled to try on products or find matches to their shades.
According to Purple, 75 percent of disabled people and their families have walked away from a business because of poor accessibility or customer service.
For people like Marissa Renee Farmer, 30, she feels that stores currently don’t implement enough digital measures for people like her living with visual impairments to be able to do tasks like match colours or find shades.
Marissa lives with severe sight loss due to an unknown condition after loosing her sight leaving her with only tunnel vision in one eye.
She relies on the use of things like QR codes to be able to find information and shop for products and said she “wished” that more brands would do the same.
“When shopping for beauty products I would love to try new things. However due to the inaccessibility of it I often don’t.
“For example when I go into a store and look at foundation they say things like light, beige, medium. I can’t actually see what those colours are. It would be helpful if they had a way to find the shade that actually matches and not have vauge names.
“My biggest issue is Mascara, I cannot tell you how often I’ve bought a Mascara and been so disappointed.
“I buy them based on what the brush on box looks like but once opened it’s different because when you actually use it often looks caked on.
“But with Mascara I’d love for it to be accessible in the sense of how it would actually look on, like maybe a virtual computer you could try it on like at a makeup counter.
I wish when makeup made things they would think “how would a blind\VI person be able to know this product will work for them?”
“I’d like them to make a QR code you can scan and try things on or send to friends and family to see how it looks.”
Marissa Renee Farmer
Being visually impaired and navigating products
But it’s not just a barrier for people who can see to shop, it’s also a barrier for those who can’t.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) 2.2 billion people globally have some form of visual impairment.
Visually impaired people made up the highest percentage of responders in the survey, with a total of 63 responses out of 102.
Survey findings found that64 out of 102 disabled people said they struggled to see the product or read the labels when using them.
Around seven percent of people registered blind or partially sighted read braille.
Estimates from the Royal National Institute for Blind People (RNIB) predict that around seven percent of people registered blind or partially sighted read braille.
In 1997, L’Occitane was one of the first beauty brands to include braille on their packaging for their blind and partially sighted users, followed by others including Dr. Jart, Cleanlogic and Humanrace.
However, in recent years the industry has become more digitally focused towards making products accessible for people living with sight loss.
In 2022, Haleon collaborated with the Microsoft-powered App Seeing AI, to allow blind users to shop for products owned by them, by scanning a barcode to access information on the product.
In 2023, Estée Lauder was the first brand to announce the launch of a new AI powered app to help blind and partially sighted people apply makeup independently.
But in a world that is moving further towards more digital-based means of allowing visually impaired people to access products and information, what place does braille have within the beauty industry?
For Taylor Notcutt, 28, who has been a braille user for 18 years, braille still remains an integral part of her daily routine.
Taylor Notcutt, 28 (above) believes braille still has an important place in beauty
Taylor lives with Leber Congenital Amaurosis, a genetic condition leaving her with limited sight in both eyes, night blindness, colour blindness and short sightedness.
Taylor has been a braille user for over 18 years and uses it to help her read things like medicine packaging, labels and shorter pieces of information.
She believes that braille still has a place in the beauty industry for people like her and added that she “encouraged” more brands to use it.
Taylor said: “Whilst using your phone to read things is great when you can’t see, sometimes braille, for me, can actually be more convenient.
“So, for instance, if I’m in a bathroom and my hands are wet so I can’t use my phone, or maybe my phone has run out of battery, those are instances where I’d still benefit from braille being on a product.”
“I can’t see myself in a mirror, so it’s really important that I have products I trust to do the work for me.
“Often products aren’t accessible for me, the packaging might feel exactly the same or be the same shape.
“So it’s really important that I can tell the difference between products, and braille can be one way of doing that.”
Taylor Notcutt
Physical barriers to using beauty products
It’s not just seeing products that’s the problem, it’s also other tasks like opening or even holding them that can be a battle for those with a physical disability.
37 out of 102 disabled people in a survey conducted by Fashioneyesta said that they struggled to open a product and 31 said they have struggled to hold a beauty product.
For disabled people like Gem Turner, 30, using beauty products can present issues on a daily basis and has impacted her since she first started using beauty products as a teenager.
Gem Turner, 30 (above)
Gem lives with Osteogenesis Imperfecta, more commonly known as brittle bones, and is also short in stature and a full time wheelchair user.
Gem’s disability impacts the choices she makes in her purchases, from not being able to use heavier hair styling equipment, to having to search for ways to adapt products that aren’t accessible to her due to her shortness as well as her chronic arthritis.
Gem said: “When you so often find products that aren’t accessible, it’s just that additional reminder that the world isn’t made to fit you as a disabled person.
“My struggles with beauty products are very physical ones, things like even reaching to access things in shops, opening the cellophane on products because of my arthritis, even just holding or gripping things.
“There have been times I’ve wanted to buy hair styling products or hair tools and I’ve had to question whether or not I can use it, that’s how real it is to me.
“If a product is too heavy, I worry if I could break my arm using it or injure myself in the process.
“So it’s like I have to do my own audit every time I go out and shop for new products to see if they pose any risks to me.”
“Makeup is really important to me as a disabled person as a tool for my confidence and self-esteem.
“If I feel like I look good, I feel more confident, I can tackle going out and about.
“People often stare at me because I’m small and I’m in a wheelchair, but when I look good it doesn’t matter to me as much.
“So when products aren’t accessible it’s like a reminder that the world isn’t made to fit disabled people like me and I hope that can change.”
Gem Turner
Disability Representation
In a survey of 102 disabled Fashioneyesta readers, 88.3 percent of disabled people said they didn’t feel that there was enough disability representation in the beauty industry whilst 11.7 percent answered that they were not sure.
In 2018, Benefit Cosmetics signed Katie Grant, a model living with Down syndrome to their brand campaign who has appeared in various Instagram posts on their account.
Other brands like Dior, Pantene and Superdrug have worked to include disabled people in their brand campaigns in recent years, however some feel there is still a long way to go before disabled people become fully integrated in representation in the beauty industry.
For actor and content creator, Samantha Renke, 37, the lack of representation in the beauty industry has served as a “reminder” of how disabled people are often “excluded” from the inclusive design.
“Beauty should be empowering, beauty should make you feel at your best, valued and inspire you to be the best version you can be.
“But as a disabled woman, I often find disabled people are ruled out when it comes to inclusive design.
“Not feeling represented, not been able to go into a store and have inclusive products or ways to be able to shop. It’s just another reminder of the systemic barriers we face.”
Samantha Renke
How far has the beauty industry come?
These are some of the advancements made in the beauty industry over the last 25 years.
Brands working to make a difference
These are some of the brands working to make the beauty industry more inclusive and accessible for disabled people.
Cleanlogic
Cleanlogic is a US-based brand selling bath and body tools.
Inspired by his blind mother, brand founder Isaac Shapiro began incorporating braille on Cleanlogic for those who read braille.
“We have Braille product descriptors across 100% of our product packaging to not only make our products accessible for visually impaired and blind consumers, but provoke the dialogue around adaptive packaging for other Consumer Packaged Goods companies to consider and implement.
“We like to say that this literal first touch with our brand highlights how making small but important changes to packaging can provide more inclusion for all.”
Cleanlogic
Kohl Kreatives
Kohl Kreatives offers a range of inclusively designed brushes made for those with dexterity and mobility issues.
Founder Trishna Daswaney was inspired to start the brand following a series of workshops in 2015 for people with illnesses and disabilities and began to understand some of the challenges they faced applying makeup.
One of the brand’s most popular collections, The Flex Collection, features five brushes that are designed to be bent to fit the needs of the person using them.
“I don’t think the beauty industry is as accessible as it could be, it’s definitely getting there, slowly but surely.
“This is also important to note because every disability is different, they are all different and unique. That’s why we adapt based on feedback, we never stop working on the improvements of the brand.
‘For us our aim is to include everyone under one roof, the beauty of being disabled and not disabled but all using the same products is really the goal here.”
Founded in 2023, Touch Tags by CyR.U.S offers a range of tactile symbol stickers designed to help people with limited sight who aren’t braille users to tell the difference between products.
Founder Victoria Watts was inspired to create Touch Tags by CyR.U.S following the birth of her youngest son, who was born blind.
The brand offers a range of tactile symbol kits with raised symbol stickers that can be placed on a variety of products, from skincare to self-care items.
“It is important to acknowledge that less than 10 percent of those with vision loss can read braille.
“CyR.U.S. offers a more inclusive solution, benefiting not only the blind and visually impaired but also individuals with dyslexia, foreign language speakers, and even those with perfect sight who appreciate intuitive communication.
“Currently we are actively developing CyR.U.S. across additional product categories and have plans to broaden our offering of Touch Tag Kits in the near future.
“Touch Tags by CyR.U.S. empower consumers to take accessibility into their own hands and experience the independence to instantly identify products.
“Our overarching mission is to implement CyR.U.S as a universal standard in packaging across all CPG categories.
“By speaking the same language, we can break down barriers and make products more accessible to everyone.”
Victoria Watts, founder of Touch Tags by CyR.U.S
Guide Beauty
Guide Beauty was founded by celebrity makeup artist Terri Bryant of 20 years, who developed Parkinson’s Disease, and was inspired by her own struggles with makeup to create a collection of makeup tools and products designed to help people apply makeup with more ease.
In 2020 she founded the brand and was joined by makeup artist Selma Blair, who had opened up about her battles with MS in 2018.
The line features a range of products including their bestselling Guide Line eyeliner applicator and their Lash Wrap mascara wand.
“Over the last few years, there has been more discussion regarding accommodation in the beauty industry.
“We as an industry have to be intentional and authentic in inviting the disability community to the table.
“This means true representation and designing the products and messaging together.
“This also means dispelling the myth that products are designed for people with disabilities or products are designed for people without disabilities.
“At Guide Beauty we use Inclusive and Universal Design methods to develop our products.
“This process is rooted in the belief that when you draw on the full range of human diversity to include people across all levels of skill, ability and disability you create better products for all regardless of skill, ability and disability.”
Terri Byrant, founder of Guide Beauty
Building a more inclusive industry
When Fashioneyesta readers were asked what they would like to see changed in the beauty industry, 87 out of 102 disabled peopleanswered that they would like to see more accessible beauty products on the market.
85 people answered that they would like to see more disability representation in the industry.
73 disabled people answered they would like to see more accessible stores and 70 answered that they would like to see more accessibility for disabled shoppers online.
As the beauty industry continues to expand, with new releases hitting the market every month, the one key priority for products on the minds of many disabled customers is accessibility.
Only time will tell whether the beauty industry will heed their advice and expand to meet the needs of such a large and diverse minority group.
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