Invest in Inclusivity: Building the Accessible Future of Finance

Digital banking has quickly become customers’ preferred method for managing their finances, with 71% of consumers now favoring digital services, according to the American Bankers Association. This shift has enabled individuals to access a wide array of banking experiences—including real-time transactions, budgeting tools, and tailored financial insights—all designed for convenience, speed, and personalized service.

Despite these advancements, many digital banking platforms are not created with accessibility in mind.

Globally, an estimated 1.3 billion people live with significant disabilities, many of which impact how users interact with digital interfaces. In fact, 15% of financial services customers with disabilities have reported feeling discriminated against by their banks or other financial services providers. Additionally, 58% of banking websites fail accessibility tests based on the four key principles of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG)—perceivability, operability, understandability, and robustness. These challenges shine a spotlight on the urgent need for more inclusive digital banking.

So how can modern financial services organizations address digital accessibility to ensure all customers have equal access to online services?

Our webinar, “Banking on Digital Accessibility,” unpacked this critical topic. Moderated by Level Access’s Director of Accessibility Advocacy, Corbb O’Connor, and featuring guest speakers from Discover, KeyBank, and Voya Financial, the discussion explores strategies banks and other financial services providers can implement to create accessible, compliant, and usable experiences for all customers. In this blog, we’ve gathered key insights from our panelists that help provide a roadmap for financial institutions committed to accessibility.

“There needs to be awareness across the organization” – Rachael Austen, Discover Financial Services

Achieving digital accessibility in financial services starts with cultivating awareness about the importance of online inclusion across all levels of an organization. From executive leadership to design and customer service teams, everyone must understand why accessibility matters, and the role they can play in creating inclusive experiences for customers with disabilities.

When accessibility is approached as a one-time project or a compliance obligation, related initiatives often lack lasting impact. To ensure long-term inclusivity, teams must recognize that digital accessibility is an ongoing commitment that should be woven into an organization’s culture.

Equally important is engaging directly with customers who have disabilities. Discover Financial Services, for example, actively gathers feedback from customers across the disability community to understand their experiences. This valuable input helps to raise awareness about these customers’ needs and preferences among product leaders and developers, enabling technical teams to design digital experiences that are more equitable for everyone.

“We’ve got to make [our digital experiences] usable for all customers” – Jennifer Bower, Voya Financial

The Sixth Annual State of Digital Accessibility Report reveals that 92% of financial services professionals surveyed believe digital accessibility has significantly improved user experience. While meeting compliance requirements is essential, digital spaces must also be fully usable for people with disabilities. So how can financial services providers ensure usability across their digital touchpoints?

To provide streamlined, intuitive user experiences for all customers, organizations should obtain functional accessibility testing that includes users with disabilities. During this testing, native users of assistive technologies (AT) attempt to complete core tasks—like checking their bank balance or requesting a credit report—in a digital experience the way a user would and report any challenges they encounter.

Following testing, organizations must take active steps to remove any barriers to access that were identified. For example, ensuring compatibility with screen readers, offering keyboard-only navigation, and adding descriptive alt text to images are just a few accessibility measures that may be necessary to provide an inclusive user experience.

Focusing on usability is key to developing digital products that are intuitive, efficient, and satisfying. By prioritizing access for every customer, financial services organizations can create experiences that build trust and strengthen customer loyalty.

“Build accessibly from the get-go.” – Jamie L. Epolito, Keybank

Many organizations adopt a reactive approach to accessibility, addressing issues only after a product or service has been launched and problems have been detected.

When accessibility is treated as an afterthought instead of being integrated into every phase of the digital development process, financial service providers are more likely to unintentionally allow new accessibility challenges to arise with each software update or product release.

This retroactive approach not only consumes valuable time and resources but also diminishes the user experience for individuals with disabilities. Additionally, it increases the risk of compliance challenges, as persistent accessibility shortcomings can attract regulatory scrutiny and lawsuits.

Digital accessibility should be woven into an organization’s DNA from the ground up. By adopting a holistic approach that integrates accessibility into every phase of creating new experiences, banks and other financial institutions can ensure their products are not only compliant but also fully functional for all users from the get-go.

Unlocking inclusive banking experiences for all

For modern banks, digital accessibility is essential to providing inclusive customer experiences, improving usability, and ensuring compliance. For more insights shared in our webinar, “Banking on Digital Accessibility”, we encourage you to access the on-demand recording. You’ll learn from our expert panel as they dive into best practices and share their firsthand experiences of navigating digital accessibility.

Bank on Level Access as your digital accessibility partner

Staying ahead of global regulations, addressing technical challenges and embedding digital accessibility into organizational practices can be a complex endeavor in the financial services industry.

A trusted digital accessibility solution provider like Level Access can streamline this process, equipping you with the expertise and tools necessary to create accessible experiences for every customer. Contact us to learn more about how to advance accessibility at your organization.