Independent Banker - July 2018 - 52

O
nline banking is easy-except when it isn't.
It's not just about connectivity. It's also
about accessibility. An estimated one in
five Americans is disabled, according to
the U.S. Census Bureau. For some people,
this creates obstacles that make even the most convenient
banking services hard to access.
People with vision impairment and dyslexia are unable
to access many websites because the sites aren't optimized
to work with screen readers. Uncaptioned videos exclude
deaf customers, who can't understand them. Flashing
graphics can induce seizures in people with epilepsy, while
low-contrast color palettes can hinder the colorblind.
Cluttered websites can make it hard for those using
adaptive technologies, including people with arthritis,
strokes and cerebral palsy.
Then there are the challenges outside the home. Some
ATMs aren't voice enabled or use touchscreens instead
of touchpads, rendering them useless for the visually
impaired. Customers with mobility issues struggle in
branches where there is nowhere to sit while they wait.
Teller counters can be too high for people in wheelchairs,
and employees aren't always trained in how to best help
the disabled. There are banks that don't accept calls from
video relay services used by the deaf.
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) mandates
that banks have a minimum level of accessibility,
something community banks have worked to provide
for years. But accessibility isn't only a legal issue. It's a
customer service issue. When a customer is unable to
access a bank's service, whether electronically or in a
branch, it sends a message that the bank doesn't care
about that customer.
" Many people with disabilities feel unwelcome at banks, "
says Michael Morris, executive director at the National
Disability Institute, a nonprofit dedicated to economically
empowering disabled people. " Misperceptions,
misunderstandings and a lack of basic disability etiquette
among bank staff can have a negative and discouraging
effect on customers with disabilities. "
Think about the average community bank accessibility
statement: legal boilerplate written by a lawyer. This is
the opposite of welcoming and user-friendly, says Simon
Dermer, managing director with eSSENTIAL Accessibility
Inc., a company that provides assistive technology and web
accessibility evaluation services.
It's also a lost opportunity. Banks could be using these
statements as a chance to spotlight products and services
that make it easier for disabled people to bank with them,
demonstrating that the bank wants their business. It
could even be part of overall branding, featuring people of
differing abilities.
" By projecting a disability-friendly image, you're not
just going after a sizable market, " says Dermer. " A large
number of households have friends or family members
with a disability and an emotional connection to it.
It resonates. "
Ready for service
People with disabilities are an underbanked market
segment, according to the FDIC. More than 18 percent
of households headed by people with disabilities are
unbanked, and 28 percent are underbanked. While many
of these people have high incomes, says Morris, people
with disabilities do have disproportionately low incomes
and face the same barriers as other people with low
incomes: high fees for savings and checking accounts,
ATMs and overdraft fees; fees that aren't transparent; and
delays between deposits and when the money is available.
" They may be getting money orders from the post office
because they need a secure form of payment and a cashier's
check is more expensive, " says Morris.
" They also use alternative financial services, such as
payday lenders, because banks don't offer small-amount
" WE WANT TO TAKE CARE OF EVERY CUSTOMER IN
THE WAY THEY NEED TO BE TAKEN CARE OF. THAT'S
JUST OUR PHILOSOPHY. "
-Gary Tice, First Florida Integrity Bank
52 Q ICBA Independent Banker Q July 2018
Independent Banker - July 2018

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Independent Banker - July 2018
