podcast ·Nov 03, 2026

Less Than 5% of the Internet Is Accessible | Max Ivey

Max Ivey sent Drewbie an email before this episode ever got recorded. It pointed out a few things on the Call The Damn Leads website that were hard for a blind person to navigate. Drewbie read it, had a small heart attack, and went straight to his site to start checking.

That whole exchange is in this episode, out loud, on the record.

Max is the blind blogger. He wanted to own carnivals like his four uncles. He ended up brokering used rides, then coaching, then podcast guest booking, and then got argued into accessibility work across four interviews where he kept telling the company they had the wrong guy.

Here's the part that should get every business owner's attention: the disability community is somewhere between 1.3 and 2.25 billion people, spent over 13 trillion dollars last year, and is loyal as hell to brands that make a sincere effort. Meanwhile less than 5% of the internet is accessible.

Max also thinks his own community has been going about this wrong… scaring business owners with lawsuits and fines instead of showing them the upside. He's trying to change that conversation, and he says so plainly.

If you own a website, this one's going to make you go look at it.

In This Episode You'll Learn

➣ Why accessibility work also cuts load times, cleans up your code and helps your SEO
➣ The market size nobody's counting: 1.3 to 2.25 billion people and over 13 trillion dollars spent last year
➣ The first thing to do today, which costs nothing: go use your own website and try to buy from yourself
➣ Why every step of your site has to work with a keyboard, and what happens at the checkout button when it doesn't
➣ How Max got talked into a whole new career off one thank-you note on LinkedIn
➣ What Max tells salespeople with disabilities about their own story, and why hiding the challenge kills the connection
➣ Max's free offer: he'll review your home page and score it between hideous and exemplary

Find Max

‣ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/maxwellivey
‣ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/TheBlindBlogger
‣ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maxwellivey/
‣ Website: https://www.theaccessibilityadvantage.com/home
‣ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/maxwellivey

Call The Damn Leads

"By sales professionals, for sales professionals — Tales of your wildest sales stories and tactics to succeed in your sales career across various industries."

Join Drewbie Wilson, a sales veteran with over 20 years of experience, as he brings you insider stories, humor, and actionable strategies to excel in your sales journey.

Your weekly dose of:
☛ Wild Sales Stories: Engaging tales of real-life sales adventures.
☛ Proven Tactics: Actionable strategies to boost your sales game.
☛ Humor: A fun and energetic perspective on the world of sales.
☛ Expert Insights: Learn from seasoned professionals in various industries.

Don't miss out on the insights, humor, and strategies that can take your sales career to new heights.

If you'd like to be a guest on the show, leave your contact information and a brief message telling us why your story needs to be heard: https://callthedamnleads.com/pages/podcast

Follow Drewbie: https://www.facebook.com/drewbierides
Follow Call The Damn Leads: https://www.instagram.com/callthedamnlead

More on this: Brandon Leibowitz on SEO that brings in steady leads. New here? Start with what Call The Damn Leads is.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why should a business owner care about website accessibility?

Because the market is huge. Max Ivey puts the disability community somewhere between 1.3 and 2.25 billion people, and he says they spent over $13 trillion last year. And they stick around. Max says they'll stay with a business "through good and bad times" if it delivers something they can use, and they'll often pay more for it. They'll also go to bat for a brand making a sincere effort. And Max figures under 5% of the web works for them today.

Where should a business start with website accessibility?

Go use your own website. Max says a lot of owners haven't been on their site in ages because someone else handles it. So test your own forms, read your own copy and try to buy from yourself. "If it causes me issues, it's going to cause disabled people issues." Then make sure every step works with a keyboard. Plenty of people using talking software or a mechanical switch can't use a mouse, and if your checkout button needs a click, they'll go buy somewhere else.

Does an accessible website help customers without a disability?

Yes. Max corrected me on this one. I called accessibility a niche market, and he said it touches pretty much every business online. The same work helps your SEO, cuts load times, cleans up your code and makes the site easier for every visitor. That means fewer abandoned carts and less strain on your customer service and tech support people. His design advice: put the most important thing in the top left corner and make it easy to get from finding you to paying you.

What advice does Max Ivey give salespeople with a disability?

Don't hide your challenges. Max got the name the blind blogger because he put himself out there brokering used rides in 2007, 2008 and 2009, when the internet wasn't accessible at all. "Your disability is not who you are but it's a big part of who you are," and the stories around it build connection. Everyone you sell to has overcome something too. The hook of a song he's still writing: "Everybody's blind about something, I just have a white cane."