Ensuring that your bank’s website is accessible to all users is not just a legal requirement but also a moral imperative. With a significant portion of the population relying on online banking, it’s crucial to make sure that everyone, including those with disabilities, can access your services seamlessly. So, let’s review steps you must take to optimize your bank’s website for accessibility.

Optimize Your Bank's Website for Accessibility

Why Accessibility Matters

Accessibility in web design means creating websites that can be used by everyone, regardless of their abilities or disabilities. According to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), businesses, including banks, must ensure their websites are accessible to people with disabilities. This not only helps in avoiding legal repercussions but also enhances user experience, broadens your customer base, and demonstrates social responsibility.

Key Principles of Web Accessibility

To make your bank’s website accessible, you need to adhere to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). These guidelines are built around four key principles:
  1. Perceivable: Information and user interface components must be presentable to users in ways they can perceive. This includes providing text alternatives for non-text content and making content adaptable to different formats.
  2. Operable: User interface components and navigation must be operable. This means ensuring that all functionalities are available from a keyboard and providing users enough time to read and use content.
  3. Understandable: Information and the operation of the user interface must be understandable. This involves making text readable and predictable - and helping users avoid and correct mistakes.
  4. Robust: Content must be robust enough to be interpreted reliably by a wide variety of user agents, including assistive technologies.

Steps to Optimize Your Bank’s Website for Accessibility

  1. Conduct an Accessibility Audit: Start by conducting a thorough accessibility audit of your website. This can involve checking your WCAG accessibility score, looking for a widget applied on each page for ongoing compliance, speaking to if you have reporting showing compliance and more. An audit will help you understand where your website stands and what areas need improvement.
  2. Implement Accessible Design Practices:
    1. Use Semantic HTML: Proper use of HTML tags ensures that assistive technologies can accurately interpret and present content.
    2. Provide Text Alternatives: Ensure all images, videos, and non-text content have descriptive alt text.
    3. Ensure Keyboard Accessibility: Make sure all interactive elements can be navigated and operated using a keyboard.
    4. Design for Color Contrast: Use high contrast color schemes to make text readable for users with visual impairments.
    5. Install a WCAG Widget: Adding a widget to your site allows you to offer additional accessibility adjustments on every page of the site such as a screen reader, ADHD-friendly profile, contrast options and more.
  3. Test with Real Users: Involve users with disabilities in your testing process. Their feedback is invaluable in identifying real-world accessibility issues that automated tools might miss.
  4. Train Your Team: Ensure that your web development and content creation teams are trained in accessibility best practices. This will help maintain accessibility standards in all future updates and content additions.
  5. Stay Updated: Accessibility standards and technologies are constantly evolving. Stay informed about the latest updates to WCAG and other relevant guidelines to ensure your website remains compliant.
Optimizing your bank’s website for accessibility is a continuous process that requires commitment and attention to detail. By following the steps outlined above, you can create a more inclusive online banking experience that benefits all users. At forbinfi, we’re dedicated to helping financial institutions like yours navigate the complexities of web accessibility. Contact us today to learn more about how we can assist you in making your website accessible to everyone.
 

Ready to Elevate Your Bank’s Online Presence?

At forbinfi, we specialize in creating cutting-edge, accessible websites tailored for the financial sector. Our team follows industry best practices and offers comprehensive WCAG accessibility services to ensure your website is inclusive and compliant.