connectFirst — Banking without barriers

Overview

Every member, every time.

connectFirst has 40 branches across central and southern Alberta and more than 125,000 members. Its community focus is a big part of why people bank there, and the app didn't live up to it for members with disabilities.

The project started with feedback from those members. The goal was to make the app work with screen readers and other assistive technology, and to meet WCAG, while keeping the existing look and feel.

What it led to

Colours that failed WCAG contrast were replaced with ones that pass.
Screen readers can now read every icon, image and button correctly.
User engagement doubled once the changes went live.

The brief

Who it was for, and why it mattered.

We designed for people with visual, auditory, motor and cognitive impairments. They wanted to manage their money on their own, with clear navigation, strong contrast and support for the assistive tools they already use. For the credit union, it was a chance to serve more of its community, meet regulatory standards and earn more loyalty from members.

Process

Research, then change, then test.

We split the work into three phases. First, a research plan with interviews and an accessibility audit, looking closely at how people with disabilities got through onboarding and sign-in. Then accessible colours and the code changes behind them. Finally, careful testing before the update went out to members.

Three-phase design process: research, develop, deliver

01 · Research

Talking to the people it didn't work for.

I ran remote interviews with 10 connectFirst members. Five of them had visual or hearing disabilities. I asked how often they banked in the app, what got in their way, which assistive tools they used, and how much it mattered to them to manage their money without help.

Meet Kelly

Kelly brought together what we heard. He's a high school teacher in Calgary with a visual impairment, a spouse and two kids. He wants to handle his own finances, and he gets frustrated when the app makes him ask for help.

02 · Audit

Checking every screen.

Following Nielsen Norman Group guidelines, I tested the online banking site and both mobile apps, looking at usability, navigation, visual design and how everything worked. Each issue got a severity rating, a recommendation, and a label saying whether it was a quick win or a longer-term goal.

Usability audit with severity and recommendations

03 · Design

Colours that pass, and screens that read properly.

We started with colour. Contrast testing showed that connectFirst's existing palette didn't meet WCAG, so I proposed a new set that did, while keeping the brand recognisable.

Old colours versus new accessible colours

What we changed in the build

Focus: every field shows a clear focus state, so screen readers don't skip it.
Icons and images: each one has a label a screen reader can announce.
Empty lists: no longer read aloud, which cuts out noise.
Buttons: read out correctly, including on the profile details page.
Consistent labels: the same word everywhere, like "Add" for the + button and "Search" for search.

Accessibility features implemented in development

Testing & impact

It worked for the people it was built for.

80%of users could get into the app easily

60%more tasks completed by users with impairments

90%member satisfaction score

2×user engagement

Designing for members with disabilities raised real questions about cost and effort. It also showed how much a team misses when it doesn't design for everyone. I'd make the same call again.

Banking without barriers at connectFirst.