With the widespread closure of the high street and the migration of businesses, shops, and retailers more broadly to online spaces, the consequential effects of society’s ever-expanding pivot to digital commerce and the reduction of traditionally physical spaces for business have been discussed at great length on our blog, particularly as it relates to disabled people.
Factors such as a lack of government financial support, the importance of allowing disabled people to work from home, the growing importance of digital accessibility in both marketing and selling to potentially disabled customers, and the ways in which artificial intelligence broadly threatens job security, each present obstacle on top of the many that already existed for disabled people to operate safely and independently in society.
Today, we would like to present to you another angle not often considered, which is the breakdown of communication between businesses and disabled people when an actual staff member of physical space was readily available to them; and explore what happens when face-to-face customer support is unavailable. But fret not, as access consultants, we will also present solutions!
Evidence base for customer harm
We will use banks and financial services as our first example, as this is one of the most obvious and extreme examples of key services in society going almost completely digital. The first problem this presents is direct communication support. Many disabled people rely heavily on face-to-face interactions where staff can utilise lip reading, written notes, or sign language interpreters (if a hearing-impaired customer is lucky). In the face of bank closures, video calls, phone calls, or online chats often became the only available option. Every disabled person has their own preferred means of communication, but speaking broadly, these options are almost always less accessible.
For one, video call software is not chosen first and foremost for accessibility, and may not feature reliable auto-captioning, or sign language interpretation. Phone calls, aside from being less favoured by neurodiverse individuals, leave out hearing-impaired people who rely on lip reading or real time text by default. And to get back to the A.I issue, chatbots and automated systems, which have been widely adopted by many businesses, do not handle nuanced queries well, making complex financial questions more difficult to resolve, thus leading to stress for many disabled people.
For people with speech impairments, face-to-face support allows individuals to communicate in ways that specifically suit them, such as through hand-written notes or utilisation of AACs (augmented/alternative communication devices).
For people with cognitive or learning disabilities, one-to-one explanations are much easier to deliver in person, as interacting in a physical space, in its own way, gives staff members context of the customer’s temperament. It allows disabled customers to not only speak at their own pace, but have financial jargon directly explained to them in such a way that reading online documentation simply cannot. Without the availability of a direct line of support, this can cause overwhelm, confusion, anxiety, and stress. Some people require nuanced explanations of loans, benefits, or account management. Automated phone menus, chatbots, and FAQs often lack the required flexibility, patience, or adaptability to meet a disabled person halfway.
Adverse effects on Privacy
Even security procedures can be affected by a lack of accessibility. CAPTCHAs and other visual/auditory means of verification are considered unusable for some, while individuals with memory or cognitive difficulties frequently face challenges with complex authentication systems.
The closure of banks also means that many disabled people may need to rely on carers, family members, or support staff to handle financial matters online, which as a result, rather ironically, reduces privacy, autonomy and independence. Financial transactions are inherently personal, but if a disabled person struggles with online systems, they may need to rely on a carer or family member. Those requiring assistive technologies, (screen readers, external software etc.), may find their usual tools are not compatible with banking websites or apps, the latter of which are becoming the go-to.
Consider the social and emotional impacts that the closure of physical spaces encourages. Many disabled people rely on routine visits to local shops to maintain social interaction and independence, banks are a key part of that routine. Closure increases social isolation, which is particularly important for people with mental health conditions and cognitive disabilities.
That said, there are ways that banks and financial service providers can mitigate the adverse effects of a lack of physical environments.
What are the Solutions?
We often mention these in our access audits:
- Offer accessible video banking with sign language interpreters.
- Ensure websites and apps are fully compatible with screen readers and AAC devices.
- Provide flexible customer service via email, chat, and phone, with staff trained to support disabled people.
- Allow safe, appointment-based face-to-face support for those who cannot use digital services.
- Simplify security procedures for accessibility without compromising safety.
- Clearly communicate to customers upon opening an account that all documentation and direct financial support is available in accessible formats (Braille, Easy Read, Large Print).
Conclusion
In short, the closure of high street branches creates a multi-layered accessibility and inclusion problem for disabled people, affecting independence, safety, social interaction, and day-to-day financial wellbeing. Digitisation may be convenient for some, but overall, you could hardly argue that what is convenient for a few is empowering to many. Banks, and any business moving online, should prioritize accessibility across all platforms, including websites, apps, and social media.
For banks and financial service providers, accessibility must be embedded across customer journeys, not retrofitted after complaints arise. Direct Access works with financial organisations to identify risk, improve customer experience, and meet legal and ethical obligations with confidence.