#564 The Accessibility Advantage: Max Ivey on Why Inclusive Design Is a Competitive Edge

In this episode of The CTO Show with Mehmet, I’m joined by Max Ivey, known as The Blind Blogger and a leading voice in digital accessibility.

Max shares his remarkable journey from growing up in a family-run carnival business to becoming an accessibility advisor helping companies rethink how they design products, websites, and AI tools. We go deep into why accessibility is not a legal checkbox but a business, UX, and growth advantage, and why most modern AI tools are still failing real users.

This conversation is a masterclass for founders, product leaders, designers, and executives who want to build inclusive, scalable, and future-proof products.

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👤 About the Guest

Max Ivey is an accessibility expert, entrepreneur, speaker, and host of The Accessibility Advantage podcast. Blind since birth, Max brings decades of lived experience navigating technology, entrepreneurship, and digital products without sight.

He advises startups and enterprises on building truly accessible and usable products, helping them move beyond fear-driven compliance toward inclusive design that benefits all users.

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🧠 Key Takeaways

• Accessibility improves UX for everyone, not just people with disabilities

• WCAG compliance alone does not guarantee usability

• Many AI tools are unintentionally scaling inaccessibility

• Inclusive design builds brand loyalty, trust, and advocacy

• Small companies can outcompete big players by embracing accessibility early

• Designing with a keyboard-first mindset changes everything

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📚 What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• Why accessibility should be treated as a competitive advantage

• How blind and disabled users actually navigate digital products

• The hidden accessibility debt in AI-generated content

• Practical principles for accessible and inclusive product design

• The real business case behind accessibility, beyond legal risk

• How founders can avoid common UX mistakes that cost revenue

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⏱️ Episode Highlights & Timestamps

00:00 – Introduction and welcome

02:10 – Max Ivey’s journey from carnival business to accessibility advocate

06:40 – Why Max chose to be open about his disability online

10:30 – Teaching himself HTML to get online

14:50 – How early tech limitations shaped Max’s mindset

18:30 – Why many AI tools are still inaccessible

23:10 – The danger of scaling inaccessible AI content

27:40 – Why WCAG compliance is not enough

31:20 – Keyboard-first navigation and real-world usability

36:10 – Minimalist design and why complexity breaks accessibility

41:30 – Accessibility, trust, and customer loyalty

45:20 – The $21 trillion accessibility market opportunity

49:40 – Accessibility as a growth and branding strategy

54:10 – Perseverance vs stubbornness in entrepreneurship

58:30 – Advice for founders facing adversity

01:03:10 – Where to find and connect with Max

01:05:00 – Final thoughts and closing

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🔗 Resources Mentioned

• Max Ivey’s website: theaccessibilityadvantage.com

• Connect with Max on LinkedIn: Maxwell Ivey: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maxwellivey/

• The Accessibility Advantage podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-accessibility-advantage/id1740242884?uo=4