Emphasize visual accessibility with tools and corporate culture

“I lost money because I couldn’t manage what I needed to do on my own,” said Albert J. Rizzi.

That was years ago, when Rizzi was still adjusting to losing his sight in 2006 from a bout of fungal meningitis.

He requested key documents from his financial advisor at Morgan Stanley in electronic format so that his computer screen reader could translate them into audio format. But the firm sent an unreadable PDF.

Rizzi sued and eventually settled the case.

Now, through My Blind Spot Inc., a non-profit advocacy and advisory organization he founded and leads, Rizzi is working with financial companies to help provide equal access to materials for people with visual impairments.

“Everyone will join this club, whether it be accident, illness, or aging,” Rizzi said of the estimated 32.2 million American adults (about 13% of the population) who have to rely on adaptation to see and understand printed materials.

According to Jessica B. Weber, a partner at law firm Brown Goldstein & Levy, from a legal standpoint, not to mention operational risk, financial advisory firms must ensure that clients can read documents. Meeting basic visual accessibility standards is a start, but firms also enhance customer experience and minimize risk when they pre-design print and digital materials for different levels of visual ability.

This is especially important because visual acuity changes with age. Vision often deteriorates but then recovers: cataract surgery is one of the most common procedures in America. “As the population ages, they may not self-identify as people with disabilities, even if they have trouble seeing or walking,” Weber said. “It’s important to plan ahead and include tools.”

A common misconception is that simply offering digital versions of documents frees the business from any extras, said Timothy Springer, CEO of accessibility consultancy Level Access.

The truth is more difficult. Visual accessibility is an ongoing process. Digital design needs to be tested for all commonly used formats, including mobile device screens, so that the material seamlessly “translates” into a consistent format that allows clients to easily find, say, key links, no matter how large the font is on their screen, Springer said. In addition, every legal and financial document, including client reports and spreadsheets, must be equally accessible in multiple formats, from large print on paper to digital formats that easily interact with accessibility tools such as screen readers. Footnotes and other supporting materials should be equally legible.

“You can’t ask someone to sign a document they can’t read,” Springer said.

The risk is further compounded by privacy requirements, said Jason S. Taylor, chief innovation strategist at accessibility consulting firm UsableNet. “If you create an environment that makes one of your clients ask, ‘Can you read this for me?’ Privacy and security are gone,” he said. “The risk is that either people, if they can’t read the document, but sign it anyway, or they get someone else to read it to them, and their privacy and security is gone.”

Visual accessibility is not a set-and-forget process, say Springer, Rizzy and other consultants. Digital layouts and technical foundations deteriorate as new features and elements are added, which can derail once useful designs and links. Testing the experience of a visually impaired client (by a visually impaired or professional tester, not a person with normal vision) should be an integral part of validating a good user experience, consultants say.

RELEVANCE FOR DIFFERENT GENERATIONS

Visibility also intersects with personal preference, noted Parinay Malik, director of client acquisition at Fidelity Investments, who describes her visual accessibility tools for clients. Some people who are used to controlling the font size in e-books now prefer larger fonts, he says.

“Signatures work for almost everyone,” Malik said, especially when consumers are used to switching between preferences offered by digital entertainment platforms. And older clients often rely on younger family members for visual workarounds, meaning firm staff must set up visual access for two generations.

All of this means that consistent compliance with visual accessibility comes at the cost of workplace culture. Malik and others agree that employees should always be mindful that clients, especially longtime clients whose visual abilities may have changed, are always presented with visual options.

Taylor said a good way to reach out to customers is to ask an open-ended question: How do they prefer to take in information?

Whether it’s office signs or digital documents that have been confirmed to be compatible with screen readers, Weber says it’s critical to make sure tools and options are always ready to use.

“When you’re scheduling appointments, make a note that asks clients if they need accommodation so you have advance notice,” she said. “Then prepare these preparations so that you are ready to go.”

[More: Visual accessibility serves clients more effectively, heads off potential risk]

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