5 Essential Website Accessibility Tips for Financial Institutions

[Approximate Reading Time : 4 mins]

Financial institutions are staples of daily life for all people. Therefore, you must ensure your company offers its products and services in a way that is available to customers of various ability types. This entails more than just installing wheelchair ramps outside your building. It also means providing website accessibility. According to GlobeNewswire, most banks fail to do this. Follow these five tips to make your online content more convenient for everyone.

1. Incorporate Assistive Tools

The most important step is to offer tools that allow users to access and interact with your website. For example, someone with vision impairment may use a screen reader or refreshable Braille display, neither of which can interpret images. Relevant graphics on your site must come with alt tags that assistive technologies can read. Remember that according to the Americans With Disabilities Act, these methods should not lead to any cost, delay, or other inconvenience for your customers.

2. Simplify

Financial information is already hard enough to understand for the average consumer. Make things even easier for customers with special needs by simplifying your site. This includes both the layout and the text. Navigation should be clear and organized, and language should be understandable instead of complex. If users are having trouble interacting with the site, it should suggest solutions.

3. Include All Devices

Many people no longer do online banking and other financial activities on a desktop computer but on a smartphone or tablet instead. Make sure website accessibility covers all types of devices, as structure is not the same across each one.

4. Bring Vendors on Board

You may have achieved web content accessibility, but what about your partners? Anyone you send clients to online should also provide features for an easy experience. Consistency is key.

5. Make Updates

Technology and federal regulations change, as well as your website as you add material. Stay informed and make updates as necessary to ensure continual compliance.

Website accessibility is a large task that requires time, effort, and experience you may not have. Let Amnet Systems help you achieve ADA compliance.

Sources:

1. https://www.businessnewsdaily.com/10900-ada-website-requirements.html.
2. https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/289404.
3. https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2018/03/14/1422672/0/en/Accessibility-Analysis-of-Banking-Industry-Websites-Released-by-BoIA.html.
4. http://mediawiremobile.com/news/why-accessibility-is-important-in-digital-publishingits-the-law/.