Putting disability at the heart of what we do

When we get digital accessibility right, it removes the barriers that our customers may face when they use our services. We caught up with Becks Brindley, the new lead of our Digital Accessibility Team to find out what we’re doing across the bank about accessibility and what drives her passion for her work.

A more accessible digital bank

‘It’s important that we create experiences that work for our customers and consider what they need to make their banking experience as easy as possible. For example, we’re giving customers more control over how they interact with our chatbot, Cora. We’re allowing them to change the speed of the interaction or alter the font size of the chat to make it easier to read what’s being written. We made these changes because we talked to our customers and colleagues with disabilities.

‘We’re also constantly updating our apps to help us become more accessible. That involves considering everything from the designs and fonts we use, to ensuring compatibility with accessibility software. We’re also the first bank in the UK to offer dark mode on our mobile apps, improving accessibility for neurodivergent customers and those with low vision by reducing eyestrain.

‘I’m really excited by the conversations happening in the accessibility space just now. We’ve always aimed to build our digital experiences to meet the industry accessibility guidance, but now the conversation is about what more we can do, above and beyond that.’

Our digital accessibility team

‘We’re raising awareness of accessibility across the bank, and the needs of our customers with disabilities. I’m working with a fantastic group of people who are genuinely passionate about supporting millions of our customers by making their experience with us as accessible as possible.

‘We think about the social model of disability. This focuses on the environment that disables people, rather than their impairment. Becoming ‘accessible by design’ is about making accessibility part of our culture and mind-set across the bank. And, by using inclusive design we intentionally design for accessibility – design for the one, work for many.

‘One way we think in this mind-set is through our Inclusive Design panel which involves customers and colleagues feeding back on new ideas, products and tools to help us make sure we’re considering accessibility in everything we’re doing.’

Progression is key

‘Designing for accessibility is an ongoing process. As a bank we’re constantly learning and adapting to changing behaviours and technology. With digital playing a significant role in how people bank, it’s important that we’re putting accessibility at the heart of everything we do. When we get digital accessibility right, it removes the barriers that our customers may face when they use our services.

‘Our colleagues are the heart of our business, so it’s important that we empower all their abilities and harness the strength that diversity brings us as an organisation.

‘Our employee led Enable Network works to promote awareness of disability and celebrates the diversity and strengths it brings. The Neurodiversity Alliance plays a really important role in raising awareness of and educating colleagues about disability and neurodiversity and helps to advocate for better inclusion and accessibility for everyone.

‘This is quite personal as someone who is dyslexic, I understand some of the barriers you can face, but also the potential of digital to be the solution. Also, having listened to a lot of customer feedback sessions, I know the very real impact of getting this right for them. I think I’ve got the best job, as I get to play an important part in helping to empower people to independently manage their finances.’