Personal Banking - The Importance of Accessibility
The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated an already fast-moving shift towards digitalisation, with personal contact and face-to-face meetings disintegrating. From the way we work to the way we shop, the ‘new normal’ that we live is set to be hybrid, as all of us move further and further into the online world.
1 in 5 people in the United Kingdom are disabled or have a long-term health condition, which is over 20% of consumers. This movement, in relation to personal banking, has unarguably removed many of the barriers which disabled people and people with long term health conditions faced. It has enabled some to easily interact and communicate with their banks, no longer tied to having to make in-person visits to their local branches. Digitalisation has on one hand provided a catalyst to the improvement of accessibility.
However, this digitisation has also created a chasm of barriers, with continued inherent failures to acknowledge and implement digital accessibility for all. Examples of where systems are still letting people down are a lack of alt-text, contrasting colour blocking, or a lack of compatibility for screen readers. With more and more branches now being snatched away from the high street, many disabled customers are being locked out of accessing necessary financial services. In turn, this reduced independence often leads to mental health issues and increased financial exclusion for society’s most vulnerable people.
Online services, from banking and beyond, must ensure that they are proactive in the installation of accessibility. As we operate and move around more freely in an increasingly digital world, we must ensure that these online platforms which we are creating are of use to us all. With limited access to community transport options, a shutdown in branches nationwide, and increased barriers to technology, those who are elderly are another target group that are increasingly isolated in this shift. 46% of those who are at retirement age identify as being disabled or having a long-term health condition.
Accessibility is a right, not a privilege. We must ensure that accessibility is at the forefront of all of our considerations, being proactive in implementation from the point of design. Only in this way can we truly unlock the potential of our services and the power that we can give to each and every one of our communities.
Written by Celia Hensman & Chloe Schendel-Wilson (Co-Founding Directors of The Disability Policy Centre).
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