Abbey: Taking disabled access seriously

Comprehensive content and a universal access link show the way to meet legal obligations.

The Site

Abbeynational.com is the separate corporate site of Abbey, the recently-renamed UK bank. The site targets the media, institutional investors and shareholders with well-ordered information.

On the right of the site’s main navigation bar is a tag labelled “Universal Access”. The wording alternates with a graphic representation of an eye. The home page explains: “If you are visually impaired or would prefer to view a simplified version of the site, please use the Universal Access button at the top right of the page”. Using the button brings up a large-text, single-column version of the site (not just the selected page). Visitors can return to the standard site with a Graphical Version link.

The Takeaway

Disability legislation in the UK and elsewhere is compelling organisations to make their websites more accessible including to the “visually impaired”. Abbey is giving a lead with the both the comprehensiveness of its simplified content and the universality of its Universal Access link.

As well as meeting its obligations, Abbey shows an understanding of its shareholder base. When it became a public company in 1989, converting from a mutually-held building society (mortgage lender), its existing members were given free or discounted shares. It thus has a large number of individual and ageing shareholders, half of whom statistics will tell it are experiencing greater difficulty reading. By drawing attention to its simplified pages Abbey is not only catering to the needs of these shareholders, it is also underlining that its latest attempt to reposition itself as a bank that is “different” is more than mere words – however large.

First published on 18 November, 2003