No Longer a Matter of If: Why Digital Accessibility is The Path Forward

We're experiencing a world-wide demographics shift towards disability. Between an aging Baby Boom generation and a younger population in which disability will become a growing factor, this is an inescapable fact. Websites and mobile environments can foster inclusion and offer accessibility for those of us living with disabilities. They are also a legal requirement which can make, or break, the success of a financial institution. In this speech presented by WeCo Accessibility Services Founder/President Lynn Wehrman, a group of digital technologists who live with disabilities, the audience will learn:

• The incident of blindness, and other age-related disabilities, is increasing dramatically in the US and around the world. (Blindness is projected to more than double in the US by 2030.)
• The legal ramifications of inaccessibility are already impacting the business and institutional sectors in unprecedented levels. (Example: an 177% increase in website inaccessibility lawsuits between 2017 and 2018, and a continued increase of lawsuits by 300 cases from 2019 to 2020, despite the impact of a global pandemic.)
• A recent study by the World Health Organization estimates that individuals in wealthy countries will spend an average of 8 years living with some form of disability.

An accessible website and banking systems will become crucial to staying in business. This session will conclude with:

• How to “bake” accessibility into your financial website and mobile design planning and updating processes
• Key attributes of accessible digital design and structure
• Ways to ensure that your digital content is truly accessible
• Special considerations for financial customers who live with disabilities

Speakers

Lynn Wehrman President & Founder at WeCo Accessibility Services