Why customer accessibility and inclusion matter to regulated services

For financial services, insurance and other regulated sectors, accessible design isn’t just ethical; it’s a competitive advantage and a compliance priority. But barriers still exist for many disabled people when using such services.

In a recent episode of the Regulated Digital podcast, our CEO Diane Lightfoot joined host Sam Kendall to discuss how firms can make regulated customer journeys work for disabled people and why it’s so important.

Here are the key takeaways for organisations looking to improve accessibility and reach a broader customer base.

There is no ‘typical’ in disability

Diane started by explaining why disabled customers still face avoidable barriers in communications, service design and customer support, and what firms in regulated sectors can do differently.

In the UK, around one in four people are disabled. That’s a huge part of the population. Yet many services are still designed around a narrow idea of what ‘typical’ users look like and miss the fact that disabled people have different needs and thus different barriers.

Service teams often design around a narrow picture of disability, then miss the wider range of needs that appear in real journeys. Whether it’s issues with mobility and vision, memory, fatigue, hearing, speech or neurodiversity, too often accessibility is an after-thought. It becomes a tick box exercise rather than something embedded into design from day one. But, as Diane said, that approach misses the bigger issue. Inclusion isn’t separate from the product or service – it is the product or service.

A good place to start is choice. Not as an optional extra, but as a core design decision. A phone-only service excludes some people. A digital-only journey excludes others. And any process that assumes all customers can see, hear, remember codes, use biometrics, and complete everything in one go is simply going to exclude so many people.

Using preference data correctly

Diane quoted the results of our research in banking and insurance, which found that disabled consumers wanted accessible information, good service and communication shaped around the customer rather than the provider. One of the biggest frustrations for disabled customers is having to repeat their access needs every time they make contact. Businesses often collect preference data but do the frontline teams use that data in their support routes? And if not, why not? In the end, if the same customer has to keep explaining the same thing, over and over again, it creates frustration for everyone.

The value of lived experience

Accessibility often fails at the level of detail, not in a headline policy statement. It’s about whether someone can actually use the service in real life. Are the instructions clear? Can they go back to prompts if they make a mistake? Can they pause and come back later? Does the language make sense?

Many organisations are getting better at visual accessibility, screen reader compatibility, and dexterity-related issues, but still miss the demands placed on memory, concentration, language processing, and decision-making.

Ultimately, trust comes down to honesty and human support. Customers would rather know upfront if something might not work for them. And when they do need help, simply asking “how can I make this easier for you?” can make all the difference.

Customers value transparency. If a service doesn’t work for them, they’d rather know upfront. For regulated organisations, accessible by design isn’t a side project. It’s just good service design – and smarter business.