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Home Blog How Banks Can Improve Online and In-Branch Accessibility for Blind and Low-Vision Customers
71% of blind and low vision people need help to independently manage their finances (ref: RNIB).
December 5, 2025
Banking is an essential part of daily life, yet for millions of people who are blind or have low vision, everyday banking tasks can lead to frustration.
In this blog, we explore some of the common obstacles these customers face and explore practical, scalable solutions to make banking truly accessible.
If your bank serves 10 million customers, tens or even hundreds of thousands could be blind or have low vision. Yet, despite the numbers, inaccessibility means many of these customers struggle to manage their finances independently, as reported by the RNIB.
Accessibility issues in the banking sector span both digital and physical services, with the following being some of the most common pain points blind and low vision customers encounter:
Inaccessible online banking: Websites and mobile apps are often not designed with screen readers or low-vision usage in mind. Buttons might be unlabeled for text-to-speech, or important text may be hidden in images. Complex navigation and poor color contrast add to the challenge.
Challenges with ATMs and kiosks: ATMs should offer independence, but 60% of blind customers report problems using cash machines (University of Bristol). Many ATMs lack audio output or tactile feedback and touchscreen interfaces with no physical buttons or headphone jacks for voice guidance can leave a blind person stranded or forced to seek help (an often uncomfortable and potentially risky proposition).
Unreadable statements and documents: Traditional bank statements, loan forms, and letters are often designed for sighted readers. Whether it’s a paper statement or a non-accessible PDF, many blind or low vision customers struggle to access these documents in a usable format.
In addition to the above, people who are blind or have low vision can be more exposed to fraud and transaction errors.
As an example, if a suspicious charge appears on an account, a sighted customer might quickly catch it by glancing at their transaction history or noticing an alert. However, for a blind customer, detecting unauthorized transactions or bank errors can be harder. Instead they often rely on someone else to read notifications or have to call customer service for clarification. This delay can be costly.
This in turn, can leave blind customers more exposed to fraud, theft, or just simple mistakes, since spotting and reacting to issues quickly may not be as straightforward without some level of assistance. Every extra minute spent figuring out what happened (or waiting for help) increases the risk of loss, both to the individual and by implication to the bank itself.
According to the RNIB, over half of blind or low-vision people have been dissatisfied with their banking provider.
Inaccessible banking can be frustrating and disempowering for users, and for banks, damaging to brand reputation and loyalty.
Customers who can’t bank easily are more likely to switch to a competitor that accommodates them. Inaccessible services can also translate to higher support costs for the bank. For example, if an online form can’t be used with a screen reader, that customer is likely to call your support line or visit a branch for help with tasks others do online.
Those extra calls and visits drive up operational costs.
And of course, there is the not-so-small matter of regulations to follow in most countries across the world, such as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the European Accessibility Act (EAA), and the UK’s Equality Act. Each of these requires equal access to services for all users, and failing to do so can result in compliance failures, litigation and even significant fines.
Making banking accessible generally comes under two categories: physical in-person banking and online banking.
Inclusive design should be a foundation of your online and mobile banking development. This means following well-established accessibility guidelines when designing websites and apps. For example, ensuring support for screen reader navigation, adding alt-text for images, using high-contrast color options, and allowing keyboard-only use for those who cannot use a mouse or touchscreen.
Not all banking happens online. It’s equally important to make sure ATMs, card readers, and branch experiences are accessible. For ATMs, this can include adding tactile keypads, braille labels, audio output via headphone jacks, and screen narration so a blind user can independently withdraw cash or check their balance.
In branches, staff training is key: frontline employees should be aware of how to respectfully offer assistance to someone who is blind or has low vision (without making assumptions or being condescending).
Oftentimes, for many businesses, one of the quickest accessibility wins is in customer support. This is where Be My Eyes comes in.
Through our app, a blind or low vision customer can receive automated AI-assistance for simpler tasks or connect directly through to a bank’s support desk. With a secure one-way video stream via their phone camera, a trained and trusted company service agent can quickly see the nature of the request, and advise or describe the resolution quickly and efficiently. Watch the video below for an example of this in action…
In the video, we see an example of a blind customer using the Be My Eyes app and Meta Smart Glasses to contact a bank using our Customer Accessibility Suite – Service AI and Service Connect.
Service AI: Can interpret images and text without a live agent. The user simply points their smartphone at a bank statement or a bill, takes a picture and the AI can read out and even summarize the content. Users can then ask follow-up questions in natural language to get more details (“What’s the due date on this bill?” or “Show me the transactions from last week”). This 24/7 AI handles many routine queries instantly and accessibly.
Service Connect: This is the human aspect. When a blind or low-vision user calls your support team through Be My Eyes Service Connect, any chat history with Service AI is sent directly to the agent to provide immediate context. Your agent can then see through the blind person’s smartphone camera (on a one-way video, two-way audio call) for on-demand visual assistance, resolving issues quickly, securely, and all while improving customer satisfaction.
Every customer deserves the right to manage their finances with dignity and independence. With the Be My Eyes Customer Accessibility Suite, your bank can eliminate some of these barriers, reduce support costs, and provide an accessible, frictionless experience for your blind or low vision customers.
Ready to see how it works? Request a free demo today.
