Conquest Helping Banking Websites Become ADA Compliant

AVON, Conn. - June 22, 2016 - PRLog -- "With more and more consumers banking online," stated Lance Leifert, CEO and co-founder of Conquest in Avon, Connecticut, a statewide leader in providing digital accessibility guidance for the banking industry, "the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has redefined how banks must comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and how their customers with visual and hearing disabilities must have access to their website."

Conquest is a full-service marketing, branding, digital design and development agency that also specialize in search engine optimization, social media management, creation of custom software, and mobile application development.

"When most people think of banks being compliant," commented Leifert, "they think of wheelchair ramps and braille keypads. The DOJ has now established federally-mandated guidelines for the way financial institutions' websites are created to provide productive access for individuals with disabilities according to the ADA."

This past spring, financial institutions and other businesses in finance-related industries nationwide, received audit surveys created to ensure they comply with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.0). The WCAG 2.0 establishes the new standards for providing website accessibility for people with visual and hearing disabilities.

"A significant percentage of financial institutions, banks and credit unions," Leifert explained, "are finding that their websites are not designed and coded properly to meet WCAG 2.0. As a result, a number of financial institutions have contacted our agency to manage the federally-guided modification process of their sites.

Most banks underestimate what it takes to make a website WCAG 2.0 compliant. It is a complex and highly technical process requiring an experienced organization that understands how the ADA relates to banking and digital accessibility."

Currently, visitors with disabilities to the websites of banks and other financial institutions must use "assistive technology" to access the Internet."Improperly designed and coded, these websites create unnecessary barriers for people with disabilities. Addressing the new DOJ/ADA guidelines in 2016," stated Conquest Co-Founder David Coons, "helps website developers prepare for the federal coding expectations to ensure that sites are as accessible as possible to the widest range of users, including users with disabilities."

Providing text alternatives for non-text content and alternatives for time-based media, plus creating content that can be presented differently without losing information or structure are just a few of the functions that will be expected from websites by April 2018. "The federal government may use fines and other legal consequences to gain compliance," explained Coons.

"The ramifications will likely become more frequent, so it would be best if financial executives start planning at this time to audit their digital presence, andconsider what principles might become mandatory, and how they will achieve compliance within those principles. They can begin by reviewing the WCAG 2.0 Standards at http://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG20/quickref."

Conquest's Leifert warned, "Financial institutions investing in a website modification should work with a knowledgeable specialist. They should understand that if a website doesn't achieve the mandatory equal opportunity experience to all visitors, not only will the financial institutions suffer penalties, their brand image will as well."

Currently, Conquest is re-designing the websites for a number of banks in Connecticut. Their team is highly-experienced in servicing the financial market as well as the healthcare, energy and retail industries. Theagency claims a long-standing reputation for servicing digital components and understanding very specific industry needs.

For a complimentary consultation, website or marketing program analysis, contact Lance Leifert at lleifert@conquestsolutions.com or via www.conquestsolutions.com, or call 860-626-7095.

To learn more about Conquest visit their sites on Twitter at https://twitter.com/ConquestWeb; Linkedin at https://www.linkedin.com/company/conquest-internet; and Youtube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcDQ7Tnj2uga0hS9UvqcFeA.