Context and challenge: In response to the guidelines of the European Accessibility Act (EAA), four leading Polish banks adapted their digital processes to the WCAG 2.1 AA standard. The main barrier was associated with the drastic differences in how screen readers (e.g., VoiceOver vs. TalkBack) and gestures were handled across mobile and desktop channels.
Approach (Eximee): Instead of traditional, time-consuming custom development that requires modifying entire processes, the banks leveraged the low-code architecture of Eximee, implementing audit-driven fixes on a per-component basis.
Result: The reusability of adapted components radically shortened Time-to-Market, minimized regulatory risk, and unified the user experience (UX) across all digital channels through which customers interact with the bank.
Market data shows that more than 80% of customer-bank interactions now take place on smartphones. At the same time, WebAIM reports reveal a harsh reality: as many as 96% of websites and applications contain critical accessibility issues.
The requirements of WCAG 2.1 AA – the international standard for web content accessibility – and the European Accessibility Act, whose provisions took effect in June 2025, impose a strict legal obligation on financial institutions to adapt their transactional systems. A highly effective response to these challenges is the use of a low-code platform, which automates UI/UX standardization and shifts the burden of fixes from entire processes to individual, reusable components. As a result, accessibility becomes a genuine competitive advantage.
This case study outlines how our clients approached this subject and what outcomes they achieved.
The projects covered the full spectrum of digital accessibility implementation: from individual components to complex banking processes running in parallel across desktop and mobile channels. All initiatives aimed to meet WCAG 2.1 AA requirements in line with regulations stemming from the European Accessibility Act.
The work was carried out in various collaboration models, depending on each institution’s needs. It included adapting existing processes, implementing post-audit fixes, and designing new components that were from the start fully aligned with WCAG.
The activities included:
Project timelines varied depending on the scope and number of channels involved. Typical durations ranged from several weeks to several months. The longest projects covered multiple processes and extensive mobile audits, while the fastest involved single-component work, especially in desktop environments where device and OS variability is significantly lower.
Implementing accessibility across mobile and desktop required close collaboration between bank teams and Consdata. Each party contributed distinct competencies: the banks provided the business context and requirements, while Consdata handled the technical and design aspects of WCAG compliance. This enabled parallel work across multiple processes and channels.
The banks played a key role in providing information and materials necessary for accessibility implementation, including:
The Consdata team was responsible for the technical and design aspects of accessibility implementation, including:
A typical accessibility implementation process is well-defined and ideally includes an audit, consultations, mockups/design, development, desktop and mobile testing, fixes, and a final audit. In practice, however, project realities varied: some banks requested accessibility implementation without a prior audit, while others conducted audits per process, resulting in duplicated issues. These situations required flexibility and adaptation to each bank’s individual needs. Often, the most effective approach turned out to be component-based rather than process-based.
The biggest challenge proved to be the differences between environments: although the WCAG 2.1 AA guidelines are uniform across channels, their technical implementation and interpretation may vary drastically depending on the environment. The table below presents key discrepancies that development teams must account for while digitizing banking processes.
| WCAG area | Desktop channel (web) | Mobile channel (apps and RWD) |
|---|---|---|
| Environment and OS | High stability, limited browser combinations (Chrome, Firefox, Edge) | Extreme fragmentation of devices, Android/iOS versions, and manufacturer overlays |
| Screen readers | Dominance of NVDA and JAWS on Windows, and VoiceOver on macOS; predictable ARIA label behavior | Need to support both TalkBack (Android) and VoiceOver (iOS), which interpret identical markup differently |
| Focus management | Sequential navigation primarily based on the Tab key | Screen rotation (portrait/landscape) is critical: changing orientation must not reset the user's focus position |
| Interactions and gestures | Mouse clicks and keyboard shortcuts | Touch gestures (swipe, pinch-to-zoom); per WCAG 2.5.1 (Pointer Gestures), every action must be available through a single-point activation |
All of these factors mean that a solution that works perfectly on desktop will not necessarily work in a mobile application.
Another challenge was the need for critical audit analysis. Different auditors applied different interpretations of the same guidelines, requiring Consdata not only to understand the standards but also to assess which recommendations were valid and which could introduce cross-channel inconsistencies. Ultimately, accessibility work required an approach combining WCAG compliance with a practical understanding of component behavior in real user environments.
Failure to meet WCAG 2.1 AA in mobile and desktop channels can expose financial institutions to regulatory risks and actual business losses, including:
Accessibility is therefore more than a formal requirement – it directly affects legal safety, brand reputation, and business performance.
Despite the complexity of the initiatives, the projects delivered several key outcomes that significantly improved the quality and consistency of banking processes:
These experiences enabled subsequent projects to be delivered faster, more predictably, and with greater consistency, regardless of channel or process complexity.
Accessibility has become a core element of financial service quality and now represents more than regulatory compliance – it is instead a competitive advantage that influences conversion, brand perception, and customer loyalty. While institutions differ in maturity levels, the direction is clear: full accessibility of digital processes as a standard of modern banking.
In this case study, the Eximee low-code development platform:
As a result, the projects helped establish solutions that now form the foundation for efficient WCAG implementation in banking, ensuring full inclusivity and security.
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Eximee Team
Eximee Team
Eximee Team
