How River City Bank Sustains Compliance Through Continuous Monitoring and Expert Support
Summary
- River City Bank has long been committed to providing every customer with access to online financial information, products, and services.
- To navigate the challenges of Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance, River City Bank engaged with experts at Level Access. Level Access helped River City Bank ensure they had the tools and guidance needed to meet their long-term accessibility and compliance goals.
- With the Level Access Platform’s monitoring capabilities, River City Bank and its development agency can continuously monitor accessibility and quickly remediate new barriers as the bank’s site evolves.
- Thanks to its thorough, ongoing approach to accessibility, River City Bank has achieved a 100% accessibility score.
Objective:
Mitigate risk of accessibility-related legal action and improve usability for all
As the largest independent, locally owned bank in the Sacramento, California region, River City Bank understands that digital accessibility is vital to providing a positive customer experience. “Most customers visit our site to use our banking portal,” said Pamela Hansen, Vice President, Director of Marketing and Events. “We want to ensure that all customers, including those with disabilities, have access to the information, products, and services they need.”
River City Bank’s leadership has long championed digital accessibility. When the bank’s website was undergoing a redesign, ADA compliance was a top priority. However, the team had limited internal development resources and technical accessibility knowledge, and they struggled to identify a third-party development agency sufficiently experienced in digital accessibility.
To ensure their new site was barrier-free, River City Bank needed support from accessibility experts. Additionally, because the site would be dynamically updated with new content, they required tools they could use to easily monitor compliance over time.
“As a bank, your website is directly connected to the financial services you provide. It needs to be accessible and functional for every customer.”
Pamela Hansen,
Vice President, Director of Marketing and Events, River City Bank
Solution:
Invest in accessibility expertise and a unified platform with monitoring
To accelerate its accessibility progress, River City Bank engaged with experts at Level Access. The bank was initially drawn to Level Access’s approach to manual accessibility evaluations, which provided comprehensive, actionable insight into accessibility issues. But River City Bank’s partnership with Level Access extended beyond auditing: Level Access helped the bank obtain the development resources needed to efficiently address potential accessibility barriers and equipped them with tools for sustaining long-term compliance, therefore avoiding the risk of user complaints.
Based on a recommendation from Level Access, River City Bank engaged a third-party development agency skilled in accessibility. This knowledgeable development team, combined with technical support from Level Access, allowed the bank to make rapid web accessibility improvements. “The guidance we’ve received from experts at Level Access is invaluable,” said Tess Gee, Assistant Vice President, River City Bank. “We’ve never had an issue that they weren’t able to help us resolve.”
To track and manage remediations while outsourcing development, River City Bank leverages the Level Access Platform. Built to streamline collaboration, the platform equips the bank and its agency with a shared system for digital accessibility work. The Level Access Platform’s monitoring capabilities have proven particularly valuable for sustaining compliance as River City Bank’s site evolves, empowering the team to efficiently identify and address potential accessibility barriers.
“Accessibility isn’t a one-and-done process. Constant monitoring and updates are required to align with changing regulations and evolving technology. Level Access provides us with the tools and support we need to make a lasting impact.”
Tess Gee,
Assistant Vice President, Marketing Project Manager, River City Bank
Results:
A perfect accessibility score, reduced legal risk, and better customer UX
With the right tools and resources in place, River City Bank has not only addressed all barriers identified in initial evaluations but also consistently maintained a high level of accessibility over time. The bank’s recent monitoring scans yielded a 100% accessibility score, indicating perfect alignment with accessibility standards. “We’re cognizant that every update to our site could introduce new accessibility issues. If our score dips, we take action to correct it,” said Gee.
River City Bank’s thorough, continuous approach to web accessibility has paid off regarding legal risk. Most importantly, River City Bank can be confident that all its customers can harness the full power of its products and services to meet their financial goals. “Thanks to our partnership with Level Access, we’re able to deliver a web experience that works for every user,” said Hansen. “And we know we can stay the course.”