The Viscardi Center

at The Viscardi Center

Providing a lifespan of programs and services that educate, employ and empower children and adults with disabilities.
An employer membership organization and comprehensive resource for disability employment best practices.

DONATE

Header Links

  • Login
  • Media Room
  • Contact Us

Share

  • facebook
  • twitter
  • linkedin
  • You Tube
  • Instagram
  • Home
  • Our Services
    • Abilities, Inc.
    • E-Learning
    • Henry Viscardi School
    • The Disability Entrepreneurship Institute
    • Nathaniel H. Kornreich Technology Center
    • Services by Type
    • Services by Age/Audience
    • Services for Businesses
    • How to Obtain Services
  • Our Stories
    • Adults
    • Businesses
    • Children
    • Donors
  • Get Involved
    • Ways to Give
    • Together We Soar Campaign
    • Advocacy
    • Volunteer
    • Share Your Story
    • Viscardi Alumni
  • News & Events
    • News
    • Blog
    • Events
    • Media Room
    • Viscardi Voice Newsletter
  • Digital Accessibility
    • Document Accessibility
    • Web Accessibility
    • Captioning & CART Services
    • Audio Description
    • Viscardi Multimedia Learning Center
  • About
    • History
    • Staff Leadership and Boards of Directors
    • Henry Viscardi Achievement Awards
    • Sunny
    • FAQs
    • Careers
    • Financials
    • Contact Us
www.viscardicenter.org > Viscardi Blog > Employment > COVID-19: Digital Accessibility Keeps Financial Services Open to All

COVID-19: Digital Accessibility Keeps Financial Services Open to All

May 14, 2020 by Mike Caprara

  • A A A

A Joint Blog from The Viscardi Center and User1st

 May 14, 2020

Hand holding out Visa debit card.

Photo by Anastasiia Ostapovych on Unsplash

Social distancing, quarantine, and state orders due to COVID-19 is forcing consumers and banks to drastically change banking and payment habits toward more online services. But for persons with disabilities, these online services can present more obstacles than conveniences. Closing the digital divide for persons with disabilities is now imperative to keep financial institutions’ digital doors open, compliance costs down, and all customers happy.

Over the past decade or so, we’ve seen the expansion of online service offerings at banks and credit unions of all sizes. These services range from the ability to research loan rates, to opening new accounts and applying for loans, completing basic transactions, and accessing educational information and financial toolkits. All the more reason to ensure these digital services are accessible to all customers, including those with blindness, low vision, deafness, hearing loss and motor skills impairments.

In fact, the Bureau of Internet Accessibility (BoIA) has been helping eliminate the accessibility digital divide for people with disabilities around the world for over a decade. It has published a variety of research on website accessibility within the banking industry. Based on findings from one of its testing platforms, BoIA published research in 2018 indicating the banking industry had made strides when it can to making online resources more accessible, but there was still room for improvement. According to BoIA’s benchmark, the average failure rate of the accessibility of online content within the banking industry was 58%. Content can include uncaptured videos, PDFs that cannot be read by screen reader software, inaccessible online forms and more.

In April, the Federal Housing Commissioner announced loss mitigation options for single family borrowers accordance with the CARES Act. Under current COVID-19 conditions, a borrower must be granted forbearance for up to 6 months on their loan if they are experiencing a hardship. Given the heavy dominance of electronic communication to receive forbearance, digital accessibility is even more critical to serve persons with disabilities.

Recently, Citi announced expansion of its COVID-19 assistance to customers, small businesses and other industries. However, if the website doesn’t work properly with a screen reader, then a person with a visual impairment may inadvertently be blocked from this assistance. Online and mobile banking was already growing drastically while physical retail bank branches were shrinking. According to S&P Global Market Intelligence, the industry’s total branch count in the U.S. declined by more than 1,500 over the 12 months that ended February 29th. Due to this trend, digital accessibility had already become an important issue for the financial industry.

Under normal circumstances the most common banking activities demand a high level of connectivity – depositing checks, paying bills, transferring funds, checking your balance. Today, banks across the nation are responding to consumers’ economic needs by offering such services as fee waivers; deferred payments for credit cards, auto loans and mortgages; loan modifications; low-rate and zero-rate loans and much more.

For people with visual, auditory, motor, or cognitive disabilities, the ability to access content and transact business through a website or mobile application can be much more challenging than for those individuals without disabilities.

In this environment, your organization has two choices – either win the battle for the best online service or possibly get saddled with an accessibility lawsuit. Imagine if someone cannot pay their bill online or apply for deferred payments or get that low-rate loan because your website or online application cannot accommodate their screen reader. Digital accessibility lawsuits were already on the rise with more than 500 suits filed before the coronavirus crisis hit.

Digital accessibility ensures you reach the broadest, most diverse set of customers, provides those customers with the services they need, protects your bank’s reputation, improves users’ experience, and reduces your risk of litigation. In addition, it can open up a whole new customer base, leading to increased revenue and product/service development innovation.

Learn more about The Viscardi Center’s Digital Accessibility Services and its digital accessibility partner, User1st, by viewing this webinar.

Filed Under: Employment

News & Events

  • News

    >

  • Blog

    >

  • Events

    >

  • Media Room

    >

  • Viscardi Voice Newsletter

    >

Blog Categories

  • Empowerment
  • Education
  • Employment

Events

The Mill River Country Club

Save The Date – Annual Golf Outing

[php snippet=2]

Disability Pride NYC logo

2022 New York City Disability Pride Parade

[php snippet=2]

View All Events

Related Posts

A graphic with a network of social media and web icons over an image of hands typing on a laptop keyboard

Should WCAG Compliance Be Your Goal?

A man in business attire points to a touchscreen graphic featuring icons representing the legal system.

Web Accessibility Insurance: The Next Frontier

Young professional engaging in a video conference with four colleagues through his laptop.

Answering Your Top Digital Accessibility Questions

Recent Posts

View All >
  • Announcing Roy Danis as Board Chair

    July 19, 2022 July 19, 2022 It is my pleasure to announce that Roy Danis, President & CEO of Conecuh Brands, assumed the role of Chair of The Viscardi Center Board of Directors on July 1, 2022. Roy succeeds Russ Cusick. Under Russ’ leadership, Viscardi’s programs have experienced significant growth and have made a meaningful impact on the [...] Read More...
  • Reach for a Star Luncheon Returns!

    July 19, 2022 Fundraiser to benefit students of the Henry Viscardi School Date:November 15, 2022 Time:11:00 a.m. Location:Crest Hollow Country Club Woodbury, NY 11771 Purchase Tickets & Sponsorships   The Annual Reach for a Star Luncheon will take place on Tuesday, November 15, 2022. We are thrilled to announce that our memorable event will be back in-person for [...] Read More...
  • 2022 New York City Disability Pride Parade

    July 18, 2022 Walk and Roll with Us! Date:Sunday, October 2, 2022 Time:10:00 a.m. Location:Madison Square Park 11 Madison Avenue New York, NY 10010   After a two years hiatus due to COVID, the NYC Disability Pride Parade is back! Join The Viscardi Center as we walk and roll in the upcoming 2022 Parade! Our group will include [...] Read More...
  • Viscardi Hosts 10th Annual Golf Outing

    June 30, 2022 Funds Raised to Support Youth and Employment Programs June 30, 2022 The Viscardi Center is holding its 10th annual Golf Outing on September 19, 2022 at the prestigious Mill River Club in Oyster Bay, where dozens of golfers will spend a fall day on the greens to raise vital funds for the Center’s youth transition [...] Read More...
  • Nominations Open for 2022 Henry Viscardi Achievement Awards

    June 2, 2022 Annual Awards series recognize global leaders with disabilities who are sparking change worldwide. June 2, 2022 The Viscardi Center is launching a call for nominations for the 2022 Henry Viscardi Achievement Awards — an international award series recognizing distinguished leaders with disabilities. Recipients will be announced and honored this coming fall. Now in their tenth [...] Read More...
  • John McEnroe Headlines Celebrity Sports Night

    May 25, 2022 The Viscardi Center’s annual fundraising event drew big names and crowds in support of children and adults with disabilities. May 25, 2022 Tennis Hall of Famer John McEnroe took the stage and played a song set with his rock group, the Johnny Smyth Band, at The Viscardi Center’s 55th Celebrity Sports Night, sponsored by Delta [...] Read More...

Contact Us

The Viscardi Center
National Business & Disability Council at The Viscardi Center
201 I.U. Willets Road
Albertson, NY 11507
516.465.1400
info@viscardicenter.org
Careers at the Viscardi Center | Staff Log in
Accessibility | Privacy | Site Map

Sign up For Enews

The Viscardi Center is a 501(c)(3)
non-profit recognized by the IRS.

Connect With Us

  • facebook
  • twitter
  • linkedin
  • You Tube
  • Instagram

© 2022 The Viscardi Center. All rights reserved. | Designed & Developed by Infinite Media Corp.