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#15 Ethical Models | Why Universal Design Drives Business Growth (Not Just Accessibility)
What if designing for inclusion wasn’t a cost… but a competitive advantage?
In this episode of Shifting to Ethical Systems, host Jules Harrison-Annear explores universal design as a powerful business strategy: one that expands markets, unlocks innovation, and creates better experiences for everyone.
Most businesses design for the “average user” and retrofit accessibility later.
But ethical and inclusive leadership asks a different question:
What if we designed for those who face the most barriers first?
From wheelchair users to neurodivergent thinkers, from elderly customers to parents with young children — designing with these perspectives at the centre doesn’t limit your business. It strengthens it.
Drawing on JERICA Global’s tourism Catalyst Project in Fiji, Jules shares how designing for accessibility from the ground up creates not just inclusion, but value creation at scale.
This episode is for founders, product designers, investors, and leaders who want to build inclusive, innovative, and profitable systems that work for real people. Not just the “average”.
This episode is for investors, founders, and leaders who want to align capital with purpose, and build systems that last.
Key quote:
“When you design for the most marginalised first, you don’t just serve them better — you serve everyone better.”
Episode breakdown:
00:45 Rethinking Design Through Inclusion
Why universal design starts with those facing the most barriers and why that changes everything.
01:50 The Tension: Cost vs Value
Why universal design can feel like an upfront burden in efficiency-driven systems.
02:58 The Fiji Catalyst Project
A real-world example of designing universally accessible tourism from the ground up.
04:50 Designing for Wheelchair Users (and Everyone Else)
How accessibility features improve experiences for a much wider audience.
06:10 Inclusion as Market Expansion
Why universal design unlocks underserved markets and creates new demand.
07:13 The Ripple Effect of Removing Barriers
How designing for one group benefits many others across different contexts.
08:30 Designing Differently in Practice
How universal design shifts product development, research, budgeting, and marketing.
P.S. If you’re building products, services, or systems and want to design for real inclusion — not just compliance — we’d love to support you. At JERICA, we work with leaders and investors to design universally accessible, regenerative models that create long-term value. Explore our Catalyst Projects at jericaglobal.com or book a discovery call to start a conversation.
Credits:
Music: Under the Willow Tree by Vita Irrita, used with full permission from the artists.Podcast created with the support of Conscious Marketing Movement.
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By JERICA GlobalWhat if designing for inclusion wasn’t a cost… but a competitive advantage?
In this episode of Shifting to Ethical Systems, host Jules Harrison-Annear explores universal design as a powerful business strategy: one that expands markets, unlocks innovation, and creates better experiences for everyone.
Most businesses design for the “average user” and retrofit accessibility later.
But ethical and inclusive leadership asks a different question:
What if we designed for those who face the most barriers first?
From wheelchair users to neurodivergent thinkers, from elderly customers to parents with young children — designing with these perspectives at the centre doesn’t limit your business. It strengthens it.
Drawing on JERICA Global’s tourism Catalyst Project in Fiji, Jules shares how designing for accessibility from the ground up creates not just inclusion, but value creation at scale.
This episode is for founders, product designers, investors, and leaders who want to build inclusive, innovative, and profitable systems that work for real people. Not just the “average”.
This episode is for investors, founders, and leaders who want to align capital with purpose, and build systems that last.
Key quote:
“When you design for the most marginalised first, you don’t just serve them better — you serve everyone better.”
Episode breakdown:
00:45 Rethinking Design Through Inclusion
Why universal design starts with those facing the most barriers and why that changes everything.
01:50 The Tension: Cost vs Value
Why universal design can feel like an upfront burden in efficiency-driven systems.
02:58 The Fiji Catalyst Project
A real-world example of designing universally accessible tourism from the ground up.
04:50 Designing for Wheelchair Users (and Everyone Else)
How accessibility features improve experiences for a much wider audience.
06:10 Inclusion as Market Expansion
Why universal design unlocks underserved markets and creates new demand.
07:13 The Ripple Effect of Removing Barriers
How designing for one group benefits many others across different contexts.
08:30 Designing Differently in Practice
How universal design shifts product development, research, budgeting, and marketing.
P.S. If you’re building products, services, or systems and want to design for real inclusion — not just compliance — we’d love to support you. At JERICA, we work with leaders and investors to design universally accessible, regenerative models that create long-term value. Explore our Catalyst Projects at jericaglobal.com or book a discovery call to start a conversation.
Credits:
Music: Under the Willow Tree by Vita Irrita, used with full permission from the artists.Podcast created with the support of Conscious Marketing Movement.