Case study: How ADACP helped a leading US-based insurance company improve user accessibility
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Learn how ADACP helped a leading US-based insurance company improve the accessibility of its website.
Executive Summary
A leading US-based insurance company had long before reaching out to ADACP been pretty aware of the importance of website accessibility in deepening its market penetration and forestall the risks associated with ADA-related lawsuits, but like many businesses, it was not sure how to proceed toward reaching the accessibility goals it had set for itself.
After a preliminary encounter with an ADACP VPAT consultant, the company’s leadership tasked the business’ internal product development team and accessibility advocates with conducting research on the benefits of accessibility in the insurance industry.
It was during the research that the business took advantage of our free consultation services, which made them start to grasp the full magnitude of what accessibility meant for them.
This helped them realize that their in-house resources lacked the capacity to take on the initiative of navigating the accessibility pursuit. That made them hire ADACP to help them achieve the requisite accessibility for the digital tools they use in their insurance business, particularly their website and customer portal.
About the insurance company
The insurance company in focus provides customers with insurance solutions tailored to their needs, whether they are looking to provide for their loved ones, plan their retirement, or build their wealth.
These services are provided through a litany of insurance agents, but the company prioritizes convenient online access to its products and services.
The challenge
The need to improve customer experience and minimize lawsuit exposure drove the insurance company under focus to prioritize accessibility. That was after they recognized the importance of having an accessible website that delivers an exceptional experience for their customers, as they could consume their products with ease and a greater reach.
This was after learning that many insurance customers are looking for products they can identify with online or in a digital format, which means that businesses with accessible websites and other digital properties are cutting it big with insurance leads and businesses.
The insurance company was therefore faced with the risks of a poor user experience for their digital properties, potential litigation, and damage to their brand.
Insurance companies that provide accessible content gain a much-needed competitive advantage. That is because accessibility deepens the penetration of their products and services into the accessibility market, which has humongous spendable incomes with the aging of Baby Boomers.
Given that the insurance industry has numerous options for consumers, ADACP helped the insurance company understand that prioritizing accessibility offers them a higher level of service that would improve their revenue and profits.
Once the insurance company decided to move forward with accessibility for its website and other digital products and services, they worked with ADACP to conduct extensive research on how to create an accessible website, train their staff on creating accessible content, and monitor the performance of their digital property at regular intervals.
Hiring a third-party accessibility company
The insurance company realized that their aspirations were beyond what their internal capabilities could handle with ease and effectiveness and that working with a capable partner would be the best way to move forward in their pursuit of accessibility of their services.
They chose to partner with the ADACP to achieve its accessibility goals. ADACP evaluated both the insurance company’s website, electronic documents, such as PDFs, and customer portal multiple times to determine the levels of accessibility. The purpose of the audits was to verify if the website and other digital properties were accessible and did not provide accessibility barriers to sections of the site’s users.
ADACP tested the following features:
- Mobile and desktop versions of the website (Desktop computers, Android tablet and iPhone)
- Both iOS and PC versions
- Firefox, Safari, Chrome, and Edge
- Multiple screen readers: JAWS, NVDA, Voice Over, and Talkback
ADACP’s approach
ADACP conducted tests based on WCAG 2.1 AA standards. All the testing was done manually, which ensured sufficient accuracy that could not have been obtained if automated testing programs had been employed. VPAT ACRs were drafted by ADACP to document the level of accessibility.
After testing the website and the services provided on the site’s varied platforms and electronic documents, ADACP compiled the findings of the audit in a detailed audit report. ADACP also provided after-assessment assistance to the company’s in-house website developers so that the requisite remediation process could be streamlined and implemented quickly.
After the website developers had worked on the accessibility issues identified with the assistance of ADACP consultants, ADACP also retested the website and its varied service platforms after some time. ADACP used the same user flows espoused during the website testing so as to verify if the company’s in-house developers had successfully addressed the accessibility errors discovered during the audit.
Audit results
The test revealed an uneven performance in multiple critical categories as well as a lack of inclusion when the website was utilized on certain devices. For example, it required the screen reader compatibility to be improved to enable users to access it from various devices.
The results of the audits varied between the devices that were used in the assessment. They also had variations based on the browsers and platforms that were used in the testing.
The specific results of the audit were:
- Keyboard controls werelacking.
- Frequency of color contrast issues
- Lack of screen reader compatibility
- The prevalence of font sizes that were too small
- Videos missing captions
Overall, the accessibility testing revealed the presence of a significant number of accessibility issues across the categories listed above, which was largely associated with the website builder not having been trained in ensuring a website they develop is accessible to all users.
The consequence of running a website with accessibility problems is that it excludes a key section of its intended users and could result in legal risks. For a business, when a website is not accessible, some parts of its service become difficult or impossible to use by people with disabilities. This excludes them, which can potentially affect the business’ revenue and profits.
Overall, ADACP managed to help the insurance company reduce its website’s WCAG errors by over 91%. The company’s website went from being riddled with inaccessible content to one that provides an accessible user experience for the company’s customers.
The company’s internal teams now feel more confident about resolving accessibility issues that crop up, and are better educated on how to write code to avoid those errors from occurring in the first place.
Key lessons learned by the insurance company
According to the feedback provided by the company, ADACP’s manualtesting of their website enabled the company to learn the following key lessons:
- Promoting inclusivity often demands adaptation to ensure that all content on a website is accessible.
- Enhancing the inclusivity of a website requires the adoption of accessibility best practices, including those associated with inclusive streaming of content.
Given the ever-dynamic accessibility space because of new access issues based on the users with different forms of disabilities seeking to access websites and web-based services, ADACP’stesting of the website found newer accessibility issues when theytested the website against the updated accessibility standards.
The next steps adopted by the insurance company
To ensure that the company remains abreast of any changes in the accessibility standards and avoids unnecessary ADA and other legal suits, the insurance company has hired ADACP to conduct annual audits so as to ensure sufficient accessibility is maintained in their ICT products and services.
That was informed by the dynamic nature of making ICT accessible to all people, which sees the U.S. government frequently update the accessibility standards and guidelines for conforming to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 508.
Let’s have a conversation about your accessibility needs
Akin to the way ADACP has helped this top insurance company in the U.S. move from the position of not understanding or knowing the steps to take to resolve their accessibility issues to the position where they feel confident about having established informed accessibility goals, ADACP can help your business embrace accessibility and reap its huge benefits.
Accessibility shouldn’t have to be a challenge that deviates from your core mandate. Let Our VPAT Consultant help you find the right accessibility solutions for your business or organization by calling (626) 486-2201 to schedule an appointment where we can discuss your website accessibility needs. We’ll provide you with free consultations!
Learn how ADACP helped a leading US-based insurance company improve the accessibility of its website.
Executive Summary
A leading US-based insurance company had long before reaching out to ADACP been pretty aware of the importance of website accessibility in deepening its market penetration and forestall the risks associated with ADA-related lawsuits, but like many businesses, it was not sure how to proceed toward reaching the accessibility goals it had set for itself.
After a preliminary encounter with an ADACP VPAT consultant, the company’s leadership tasked the business’ internal product development team and accessibility advocates with conducting research on the benefits of accessibility in the insurance industry.
It was during the research that the business took advantage of our free consultation services, which made them start to grasp the full magnitude of what accessibility meant for them.
This helped them realize that their in-house resources lacked the capacity to take on the initiative of navigating the accessibility pursuit. That made them hire ADACP to help them achieve the requisite accessibility for the digital tools they use in their insurance business, particularly their website and customer portal.
About the insurance company
The insurance company in focus provides customers with insurance solutions tailored to their needs, whether they are looking to provide for their loved ones, plan their retirement, or build their wealth.
These services are provided through a litany of insurance agents, but the company prioritizes convenient online access to its products and services.
The challenge
The need to improve customer experience and minimize lawsuit exposure drove the insurance company under focus to prioritize accessibility. That was after they recognized the importance of having an accessible website that delivers an exceptional experience for their customers, as they could consume their products with ease and a greater reach.
This was after learning that many insurance customers are looking for products they can identify with online or in a digital format, which means that businesses with accessible websites and other digital properties are cutting it big with insurance leads and businesses.
The insurance company was therefore faced with the risks of a poor user experience for their digital properties, potential litigation, and damage to their brand.
Insurance companies that provide accessible content gain a much-needed competitive advantage. That is because accessibility deepens the penetration of their products and services into the accessibility market, which has humongous spendable incomes with the aging of Baby Boomers.
Given that the insurance industry has numerous options for consumers, ADACP helped the insurance company understand that prioritizing accessibility offers them a higher level of service that would improve their revenue and profits.
Once the insurance company decided to move forward with accessibility for its website and other digital products and services, they worked with ADACP to conduct extensive research on how to create an accessible website, train their staff on creating accessible content, and monitor the performance of their digital property at regular intervals.
Hiring a third-party accessibility company
The insurance company realized that their aspirations were beyond what their internal capabilities could handle with ease and effectiveness and that working with a capable partner would be the best way to move forward in their pursuit of accessibility of their services.
They chose to partner with the ADACP to achieve its accessibility goals. ADACP evaluated both the insurance company’s website, electronic documents, such as PDFs, and customer portal multiple times to determine the levels of accessibility. The purpose of the audits was to verify if the website and other digital properties were accessible and did not provide accessibility barriers to sections of the site’s users.
ADACP tested the following features:
- Mobile and desktop versions of the website (Desktop computers, Android tablet and iPhone)
- Both iOS and PC versions
- Firefox, Safari, Chrome, and Edge
- Multiple screen readers: JAWS, NVDA, Voice Over, and Talkback
ADACP’s approach
ADACP conducted tests based on WCAG 2.1 AA standards. All the testing was done manually, which ensured sufficient accuracy that could not have been obtained if automated testing programs had been employed. VPAT ACRs were drafted by ADACP to document the level of accessibility.
After testing the website and the services provided on the site’s varied platforms and electronic documents, ADACP compiled the findings of the audit in a detailed audit report. ADACP also provided after-assessment assistance to the company’s in-house website developers so that the requisite remediation process could be streamlined and implemented quickly.
After the website developers had worked on the accessibility issues identified with the assistance of ADACP consultants, ADACP also retested the website and its varied service platforms after some time. ADACP used the same user flows espoused during the website testing so as to verify if the company’s in-house developers had successfully addressed the accessibility errors discovered during the audit.
Audit results
The test revealed an uneven performance in multiple critical categories as well as a lack of inclusion when the website was utilized on certain devices. For example, it required the screen reader compatibility to be improved to enable users to access it from various devices.
The results of the audits varied between the devices that were used in the assessment. They also had variations based on the browsers and platforms that were used in the testing.
The specific results of the audit were:
- Keyboard controls werelacking.
- Frequency of color contrast issues
- Lack of screen reader compatibility
- The prevalence of font sizes that were too small
- Videos missing captions
Overall, the accessibility testing revealed the presence of a significant number of accessibility issues across the categories listed above, which was largely associated with the website builder not having been trained in ensuring a website they develop is accessible to all users.
The consequence of running a website with accessibility problems is that it excludes a key section of its intended users and could result in legal risks. For a business, when a website is not accessible, some parts of its service become difficult or impossible to use by people with disabilities. This excludes them, which can potentially affect the business’ revenue and profits.
Overall, ADACP managed to help the insurance company reduce its website’s WCAG errors by over 91%. The company’s website went from being riddled with inaccessible content to one that provides an accessible user experience for the company’s customers.
The company’s internal teams now feel more confident about resolving accessibility issues that crop up, and are better educated on how to write code to avoid those errors from occurring in the first place.
Key lessons learned by the insurance company
According to the feedback provided by the company, ADACP’s manualtesting of their website enabled the company to learn the following key lessons:
- Promoting inclusivity often demands adaptation to ensure that all content on a website is accessible.
- Enhancing the inclusivity of a website requires the adoption of accessibility best practices, including those associated with inclusive streaming of content.
Given the ever-dynamic accessibility space because of new access issues based on the users with different forms of disabilities seeking to access websites and web-based services, ADACP’stesting of the website found newer accessibility issues when theytested the website against the updated accessibility standards.
The next steps adopted by the insurance company
To ensure that the company remains abreast of any changes in the accessibility standards and avoids unnecessary ADA and other legal suits, the insurance company has hired ADACP to conduct annual audits so as to ensure sufficient accessibility is maintained in their ICT products and services.
That was informed by the dynamic nature of making ICT accessible to all people, which sees the U.S. government frequently update the accessibility standards and guidelines for conforming to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 508.
Let’s have a conversation about your accessibility needs
Akin to the way ADACP has helped this top insurance company in the U.S. move from the position of not understanding or knowing the steps to take to resolve their accessibility issues to the position where they feel confident about having established informed accessibility goals, ADACP can help your business embrace accessibility and reap its huge benefits.
Accessibility shouldn’t have to be a challenge that deviates from your core mandate. Let Our VPAT Consultant help you find the right accessibility solutions for your business or organization by calling (626) 486-2201 to schedule an appointment where we can discuss your website accessibility needs. We’ll provide you with free consultations!
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