Mobile banking and investing have made it more convenient than ever for Americans to access their accounts and conduct transactions. We can use our phones for everything from depositing checks to sending money to buying and selling stocks — anywhere, any time.
In theory, today’s mobile app features should be a boon to people with disabilities. People with visual impairments and older individuals who don’t drive no longer have to go to a physical branch or ATM. For people with limited use of their hands, features like facial or thumbprint recognition make logging into mobile apps easy. The list goes on.
And yet, according to a recent FDIC survey, households with disabilities were much more likely to rely on physical bank branches and ATMs, while being less likely to use online or mobile channels. Meanwhile, the vast majority of people with disabilities who do use digital channels say they often ask someone else for help with financial transactions. Why? The answer is simple: Too many mobile financial applications and websites are not designed with accessibility in mind.
Fortunately, there are simple ways to make your mobile banking and investing apps more inclusive. Best of all, when you invest in accessible design, you inevitably make your apps more flexible, intuitive and easy to use for everyone — not just people with disabilities.
Download the Perkins Access guide for four ways to make your mobile banking and investing apps more inclusive.
Perkins Access is the digital accessibility consulting arm of Perkins School for the Blind.
