Championing True Inclusivity: How Disability Is Shaping the Future of Beauty
Celebrating the push for accessible products, representation, and lasting inclusivity in the global beauty industry.
Beauty, in its truest sense, is universal. Yet for too long, major beauty brands and the wider industry have framed inclusion as a box to be checked rather than a standard to uphold. Now, powerful voices—led by athletes like Paralympic champion Bebe Vio and trailblazing entrepreneurs—are reshaping the narrative by demanding deeper, lasting inclusion for people with disabilities within every facet of beauty.
Why Inclusive Beauty Is More Than a Trend
The call to action for accessible and inclusive beauty is not just about marketing or token gestures: it’s about reshaping an industry to reflect the real, diverse world we live in. With over one billion people globally living with a disability, the power and necessity of true representation has never been more apparent.
- Representation Matters: Seeing people with disabilities in beauty campaigns, on packaging, and in leadership inspires belonging and self-worth.
- Accessible Design: Products that are easy to use, open, and identify make beauty rituals accessible to all.
- Empowerment Through Visibility: Campaigns that do not shy away from scars, prosthetic limbs, or other visible differences encourage a culture of acceptance and strength.
To create true change, the industry must move beyond performative representation to fundamentally rethink who beauty is for and how it’s delivered.
The Faces Leading Change: Voices Like Bebe Vio
Paralympic fencer and L’Oréal Paris global ambassador Bebe Vio Grandis is the embodiment of this shift. She has used her platform, from the fencing piste to billboards, to advocate for authentic, visible inclusion of people with disabilities in the beauty world.
Her comments offer both hope and a challenge:
“If we want to normalize disabilities, we need to see them. My scars and prosthetic limbs are visual reminders of who I am and why I matter. If people like me can’t see themselves in big places, how can they dream big?”
Through high-profile collaborations—including designing a Barbie doll in her likeness, wheelchair and all—Vio’s hope is simple yet profound: that children with disabilities will grow up without feeling like an exception, and being part of inclusion becomes perfectly normal.
Representation in Action: Why Visibility Is Transformative
When individuals with disabilities are regularly featured in campaigns, product development, and leadership positions, it has ripple effects:
- Inspiration for Future Generations: Young people are able to see themselves in places of influence and aspiration.
- Shifting Public Perception: Visibility leads to normalization, which in turn fosters acceptance and understanding.
- Empowerment Through Participation: Engaging people with disabilities as creators and decision-makers leads to better, more universally designed products.
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Progress in Inclusive Design: The Rise of Accessible Beauty Products
Historically, accessible design in beauty has received little attention. A 2019 P&G study found only 4% of personal care products directly addressed the needs of people with physical disabilities, whether through packaging with Braille or easier-to-open containers.
Recently, however, brands have begun to take meaningful action:
- Braille and Tactile Features: Brands like L’Occitane and Bioderma have implemented Braille on their packaging, enhancing usability for the blind and visually impaired.
- Innovative Tools: Lancôme introduced HAPTA, an AI-powered motor-stabilizing makeup applicator designed for those with limited arm mobility, ensuring steadier, more independent use.
- Easy-Grip Applicators: Rare Beauty’s sphere-top applicator—praised for inclusivity, even if not originally designed for disability—has received acclaim for being easier to hold and manipulate.
- Voice-Enabled Tech: Estée Lauder launched an app with voice instructions to assist users who are visually impaired in applying makeup independently.
- Startups Driving Change: Human Beauty founder Millie designed products like the Liquid Confidence Mascara to be equally effective when used vertically or horizontally, opening up new possibilities for users with limited dexterity.
Accessible Packaging: What Matters Most
| Feature | Benefit for Users with Disabilities |
|---|---|
| Braille / Raised Markings | Identifies product type and usage for the visually impaired |
| Easy-Open Lids/Dispensers | Reduces difficulty for users with grip or hand movement limitations |
| Audio Instructions / QR Codes | Provides clear directions or content via phone for blind/visually impaired |
| Lightweight Design | Makes products more manageable, especially for those with limited strength |
Even small upgrades—like including a QR code with spoken instructions—can greatly increase potential users’ autonomy.
Barriers Yet to Be Broken: Where the Industry Falls Short
Despite real advances, there are still wide gaps in how the beauty industry serves those with disabilities:
- Beyond ‘Tick-Box’ Diversity: Representation in marketing is not always matched by accessible in-store experiences or practical product innovations.
- Limited Staff Training: Counter staff may not be trained to help customers with disabilities, from opening packaging to guiding them on product application.
- Poor In-store Accessibility: Music, lighting, shelf height, and store navigation are often not suited to various disabilities.
- Underrepresentation in Leadership: People with disabilities remain underrepresented not only on the front lines of advertising, but in decision-making roles that shape brands’ futures.
The experience of people like Brittney Ellis, who lost her sight and now must rely on tactile clues or technological solutions to identify product types, underscores the need for more fundamental change. As she suggests, “a simple change, like scanned barcodes providing audio details, could make a world of difference.”
What Still Needs Urgent Attention?
- Widespread Standardization: Innovations like Braille and voice technology should become industry norms, not exceptions.
- Staff and Community Education: Inclusivity training, not just for store staff but also for product developers, can spark significant improvements.
- Affordable Access: Innovations must be available at all price points—not just luxury products—to ensure inclusivity is not only for the few.
- Move From Assistive to Universal: Accessible design should be standard for everyone, making beauty easier and more enjoyable for all bodies and abilities.
Universal Design: The Next Big Frontier
The push for inclusive beauty is about more than creating “special” products for a limited audience. It’s about universal design—products that anticipate and embrace the diverse range of user needs from the start. When accessible features become normal, the entire market benefits.
The business case is strong: studies and brands’ own experiences show that products designed for accessibility are often easier and more enjoyable for everyone. Wider applicator tops, clearer labels, and more intuitive packaging help all users, from the young to the elderly.
- Inclusivity Drives Engagement: Customers increasingly respond to brands that visibly support diversity and prioritize social responsibility.
- Innovation Breeds Loyalty: Well-designed, accessible products build long-term brand relationships across customer groups.
Collaboration as a Catalyst
Industry insiders stress that progress is a team effort: people with disabilities must be involved from concept and design through marketing and feedback. As Bebe Vio says, “Creating space for people like me by making disabilities part of the norm, not the exception? It’s simply not a one-woman job.”
How Beauty Schools and Training Can Drive Lasting Change
Education is foundational to both inclusivity and innovation in beauty. Programs that train future makeup artists, product designers, and marketers are increasingly recognizing their responsibility to:
- Teach practical skills for working with diverse faces, bodies, and needs
- Break down stereotypes that label some appearances as more “worthy” of attention than others
- Empower all students to value and serve a diverse clientele
When beauty professionals are comfortable working with people across the diverse spectrum of disability, every client benefits from tailored care and genuine understanding, not just technical skills.
Real Stories, Real Impact: Inclusivity in Practice
The lived experiences of diverse consumers and creators bring clarity to what must change. From the challenges of identifying an unmarked product as a blind user, to the liberating feeling of seeing one’s body on a magazine cover, each story highlights both barriers and possibilities.
Brands born from these stories, like Human Beauty, show how small tweaks—an easier mascara brush, an accessible label, affordable pricing—can radically expand who feels included and valued. As founder Millie observes, changing an entrenched industry is slow, but every innovation matters.
What’s Next? Action Steps for a More Inclusive Beauty Industry
For anyone working in beauty—behind the scenes or in front of the camera—there are concrete steps to advance the cause of disability inclusion:
- Consult with Disability Advocates: Bring people with disabilities into decision-making and feedback roles, not just as spokespeople.
- Prioritize Accessibility from Concept to Launch: Make accessible design a nonnegotiable part of product development.
- Invest in Employee Training: Ensure retail staff and customer service teams can assist all shoppers confidently and respectfully.
- Champion Representation Everywhere: From social media to billboard campaigns to C-suite roles, representation drives both perception and progress.
- Measure Progress: Track improvements over time, and be transparent about goals and setbacks alike.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q: What does disability inclusivity mean in the beauty industry?
A: Disability inclusivity means designing products, services, stores, and media so that people with disabilities can access, enjoy, and participate fully—removing both physical and social barriers.
Q: What are some recent examples of accessible beauty products?
A: Innovations include mascara wands designed for grip challenges, packaging with Braille or QR codes, AI-powered makeup applicators for those with mobility limitations, and voice-assistance apps for the visually impaired.
Q: Why is representation in advertising so important?
A: When people with disabilities are featured in marketing and leadership, it normalizes disability, inspires future generations, and signals that all bodies are valued and visible in culture.
Q: What challenges do disabled consumers still face with beauty products?
A: Many products are still hard to open, identify, or use independently. Store layouts, loud music, untrained staff, and a lack of accessible information remain significant barriers for disabled shoppers.
Q: How can beauty brands become more inclusive?
A: Brands should involve people with disabilities from the start, prioritize universal and accessible design in every product, provide staff training, and foster authentic, visible representation at all company levels and public touchpoints.
Conclusion: The Road Toward Authentic Inclusion
True inclusivity in beauty is an ongoing journey—one requiring collaboration, openness to feedback, and sustained effort to keep the needs of people with disabilities at the forefront. By committing to universal design, empowering representation, and prioritizing accessibility in every choice, the beauty industry can finally reflect the true spectrum of beauty in all its diversity and strength.
References
- https://humanbeauty.co.uk/blogs/news/cosmopolitan-exposes-the-disability-gap-in-the-beauty-industry
- https://www.cosmopolitan.com/style-beauty/beauty/a42133594/bebe-vio-beauty-industry-inclusivity-essay/
- https://tsparapidcity.com/blog/redefining-beauty-how-diversity-and-inclusivity-are-breaking-industry-stereotypes/
- https://www.cosmopolitan.com/uk/beauty-hair/a43928453/beauty-disability-inclusivity/
- https://www.cosmopolitan.com/author/259626/beatrice-maria-vio-grandis/
- https://www.magzter.com/nl/stories/fashion/Cosmopolitan-US/THE-BEAUTY-INDUSTRY-NEEDS-MORE-FACES-LIKE-MINE
- http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/174281/1/tllove_1.pdf
- http://www.cornell.edu/video/global-aesthetics-conference-day-2-part-2
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