How accessible is life for the blind and visually impaired? How involved are they in life?
How accessible is life for the blind and visually impaired? How involved are they in life? If we take the financial sector, financial services, which is a simple process for most people, are far from being accessible for the blind and visually impaired due to accessibility problems. Accessible finance and banking with BlindLook remove all obstacles at this point. In this article, let's take a look at what BlindLook's accessibility services in finance and banking have changed.
Pre-BlindLook Finance and Banking Services:
Physical Transportation Issues
In our first scenario, the blind and visually impaired individual decides to go to the bank branch to open an account. Even if we assume that the blind and visually impaired person overcome the problems caused by accessibility problems on the way, it has to face many accessibility-related problems in banking transactions. To exemplify, in many areas such as the contract signing process or in-bank queuing process, banks are unfortunately not accessible enough for the blind and visually impaired person. Services that are not accessible make it even more difficult for the blind and visually impaired to participate in financial life.
Digital Banking Issues
Our other scenario is related to the digital banking experience of the blind and visually impaired person. Let's say that the blind and visually impaired person will transfer the money in his account to another account. There are many steps to take to transfer the money. Since screen reader programs read the entire page from beginning to end, the blind and visually impaired person has to spend a huge amount of time. For example, he has to listen to the whole page in order to reach the "Money Transfer" section. As we can see here, the user experience is unfortunately far from accessible. Our other scenario is related to the digital banking experience of the blind and visually impaired person. Let's say that the blind and visually impaired person will transfer the money in his account to another account. There are many steps to take to transfer the money. Since screen reader programs read the entire page from beginning to end, the blind and visually impaired person has to spend a huge amount of time. For example, he has to listen to the whole page in order to reach the "Money Transfer" section. As we can see here, the user experience is unfortunately far from accessible.
Accessibility Journey in Finance and Banking After BlindLook:
BlindLook provides accessibility services in the digital banking scenario mentioned above to many institutions such as Garanti BBVA, Papara, Şekerbank, Findex, and Alternatif Bank in the finance sector. So what exactly does BlindLook do? Our EyeBrand brands significantly reduce the time spent by the consumer in the user experience section by using the technology developed by BlindLook. Thanks to the Audio Simulation technology of BlindLook, the user quickly completes the process with target-oriented sound reading. For example, instead of playing the entire page of Audio Simulation, “Double-click the middle of the screen to reach the money transfer option.” It facilitates the user experience of the blind and visually impaired person with specific directions Thus, the person neither needs to go to the bank nor does he have to spend his time on simple transactions.
As a result, we take great strides in terms of accessibility and increase financial inclusion with the feedback we receive from both the blind and visually impaired users and the brands we partner with. Our goal is to make every industry accessible. We appreciate everyone who is a partner in our goal.
Author: Feride Bayır - Mehmet Akif Çırlan / BlindLook Ekip
