By: Jessica Fabus Cheng

Most brands assume accessibility is as simple as installing a ramp or adding captions to a video. Check the box, move on. However, this limited view may be costing them more than they realize, both in market share and in meaningful connection. Jessica Fabus Cheng understands the impact of exclusion in a deeply personal way.

After surviving a rare form of thyroid cancer that permanently altered her voice, she found herself navigating a world that wasn’t always designed for people with differences. Today, using the remaining 80% of her voice, she is creating a significant impact as Mrs. DC International 2025, a digital inclusion strategist, and founder of Accessibility in Action.

“There’s a potentially $13 trillion market that many companies overlook,” she says. “Not because they don’t care—but because they don’t see what’s missing.”

Despite growing interest in DEI efforts, many brands still misunderstand or underestimate what accessibility truly means. Cheng is working to help reshape that perspective.

Moving Beyond Compliance

Accessibility is not just a checklist item. It’s about fostering a culture of inclusion. It’s about ensuring people feel seen, welcomed, and respected. Yet for many organizations, accessibility begins and ends with a legal mandate. As a result, they may miss out on the opportunity to lead with empathy and build authentic relationships with audiences who are often overlooked.

Cheng explains that true accessibility goes beyond meeting legal standards—it means considering how someone with a screen reader navigates a website, how a person with sensory processing disorder engages with video content, or how visual contrast can significantly enhance a user’s experience. These may seem like small details, but for those affected, they are the difference between being able to participate and being left out entirely.

In a digital-first world, where much of life happens through screens, the ability to connect should be considered a fundamental right.

A Personal Perspective

Cheng’s work is informed not only by professional expertise but also by lived experience. As a former operating room nurse, she was used to caring for others. However, after her cancer diagnosis, the care became personal. She had to relearn how to speak, adjusting to a new reality where vocal fatigue and limited volume became her new normal. At one point, she even prepared to learn American Sign Language to communicate with her then 18-month-old daughter.

Rather than stepping back, she leaned into advocacy, public speaking, and a renewed mission to champion inclusion on a broader scale. Through her platform and podcast, All the Best With Jess, she elevates voices that are too often overlooked. Her pageant title is not just a crown but also a conversation starter—about what inclusion truly looks like.

Why Digital Inclusion Matters Now

More than one billion people worldwide live with some form of disability (World Health Organization). In the U.S. alone, one in four adults identifies as disabled. These are not niche audiences; they represent significant portions of the population across various demographics. Yet many brands still fail to consider them in their digital strategy, unintentionally excluding large portions of potential customers.

Cheng emphasizes that inclusion doesn’t require a complete rebrand or a team of specialists. It starts with intentional practices. Captioning videos, using descriptive alt text, writing in clear language, and designing with visual contrast are practical first steps. These changes are not only good practice—they are wise business decisions.

Accessibility makes content usable for more people, not fewer. When brands overlook it, they don’t just exclude people; they potentially leave valuable opportunities untapped.

The Triple A Framework: A Model for Meaningful Inclusion

To help brands approach accessibility with clarity and purpose, Cheng developed the Triple A Framework: Awareness, Allyship, and Action. It begins with understanding what accessibility means in practice—not just in policy. From there, it encourages organizations to listen to the lived experiences of those in the disability community and to implement thoughtful, inclusive practices that are scalable and sustainable.

What makes the framework valuable is its simplicity. Rather than overwhelming teams with legal jargon or costly audits, it offers a clear roadmap rooted in education, empathy, and execution.

In Cheng’s words, “You don’t have to be perfect. But you do have to be mindful.”

Why This Work Matters

For Jessica, accessibility is not abstract. Her cousin Tommy, who lives with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, once tripped over an uneven sidewalk and broke his leg. That injury, which could have been preventable with better infrastructure, led to him becoming a full-time wheelchair user. That single moment became a turning point in her advocacy journey. It was a reminder that inclusion is not just about policy—it’s about improving people’s lives.

At home, she models that commitment with her own family. Alongside her husband and daughter, she raises future service dogs for the Guide Dog Foundation, a hands-on way to teach the values of service, compassion, and inclusion.

A Call to Shift the Mindset

Accessibility is often seen as extra effort. But Cheng wants the conversation to evolve. Inclusion should not be reactive; it should be foundational. Brands that embrace accessibility aren’t just protecting themselves from potential risks; they are positioning themselves to stay relevant in a rapidly changing world.

This isn’t about doing the right thing for appearance’s sake. It’s about doing the smart thing for everyone.

Because when accessibility is prioritized, everyone benefits. And when lived experience is treated as expertise, real transformation becomes possible.

Ready to turn intention into inclusion? Start at www.jessicafabuscheng.com.