HSBC and Digital Accessibility
We are working towards becoming the world’s most digitally accessible bank. We’re harnessing the power of technology to provide a great digital experience for everyone, especially people with disabilities and those who are neurodivergent.
Accessibility for all
We’ve introduced measures to help all our customers manage their money on their own terms.
Accessibility for all
Duration: 3:52
Speakers: Tracy, Priyanca, Yahye
[Tracy]
When I’m on stage, I feel relaxed, unburdened.
[Priyanca]
I love being immersed in nature.
There’s a timelessness, a sort of preciousness.
[Yahye]
I feel most at peace and total serenity when I’m in front of the water.
[Text on screen]
Opportunity
Tracy, Yahye and Priyanca’s Story
[Priyanca]
Sometimes the world can feel very overwhelming.
I can find lights too bright and sounds too intense.
It really saps my energy completely in a way that maybe a neurotypical person wouldn’t be as impacted.
[Yahye]
The world doesn’t slow down when you’re blind.
The hardest part is not the darkness, it’s when people think I live in it.
[Tracy]
I can’t hear.
Sometimes, I can only guess and try to piece information together, and that is exhausting.
[Yahye]
When your agency is taken away from you, you cannot manage your finances.
You feel belittled, you feel vulnerable.
[Tracy]
In the past, when I handled my finances, even very simple transactions required me to ask someone I trusted to help me.
I had to reveal things I wanted to keep private to them.
[Priyanca]
With ADHD you can easily feel overwhelmed.
I used to not really engage with my finances.
You don’t get extra hours in the day or extra energy as a disabled person to navigate all of these quite inaccessible systems.
[Yahye]
Open HSBC.
[Screen reader]
HSBC notifications
[Yahye]
What I really most love about the HSBC app is that I can do anything, just like anyone else.
[Screen reader]
My accounts
[Yahye]
I’m able to look at investments,
[Screen reader]
World Trader
[Yahye]
at savings.
I’m able to make payments.
[Screen reader]
Pay and transfer
[Yahye]
I’m able to do things that take minimal effort without having to worry about the challenges that come with lack of accessibility.
[Priyanca]
When things are designed with intention, the way you interact with them can feel a lot more natural.
It doesn’t drain all your energy.
Being able to simply open the app, use my fingerprint or biometrics and I’m straight in.
When I’m on the app, I don’t feel different.
I can just do things as quickly as anyone else.
I’m way more likely to be in control and feel empowered to access and manage my money.
[Tracy]
When I went to the Mong Kok branch, and when I did not know how to use the app, they would patiently show me so that I could understand.
Being able to take control of my own affairs allows me to have privacy and dignity.
[Priyanca]
Finances might not be the most exciting or sexy subject, but it enables you to do things that you actually enjoy and enables you to live the life that you want.
[Yahye]
Financial independence is complete life independence.
I’m experiencing life and the world fully and I’m able to do the same things as other people but just in my own alternative way.
[Tracy]
Being able to independently handle financial matters allows me to live life in my own way, making life more fulfilling and more vibrant.
[Text on screen]
HSBC | Opening up a world of opportunity
© HSBC Group 2026
Watch an audio description version of this film (opens in new window)
Independent living
Three of our customers explain what it means to them to be financially independent.
Navigating systems
Priyanca appreciates good design more than most – and she knows just how much it can benefit everyone.
Independent operator
Yahye doesn't let his visual impairment hold him back. In fact, it drives him to create a more accessible world, for everyone.
Overcoming barriers
Tracy now has time to focus on the things she loves – and she’s learning more about Cantonese opera.
Staying ahead
Whether it’s a new service, a new digital accessibility feature or a new way of doing things, we’re always looking to innovate.
Testing our tech
Our user research programme has one mission – to make sure that our products and services are accessible for everyone.
Preventing a seizure on a Zoom call
Duration: 00:03:34
Speakers:
-
Joanne Austin
Global Inclusion Delivery Manager, HSBC UK -
Dan Simpson
Global Head of United Collaboration, HSBC -
Alex Mooc
Head of Accessibility, Zoom
[Man]
HSBC offices, Centenary Square, Birmingham.
[Joanne]
Living with epilepsy is very frightening, it’s very isolating.
[Man]
Joanne Austin, Compliance Assurance Manager, HSBC UK.
[Text on screen]
Joanne Austin
Compliance Assurance Manager
HSBC UK
[Joanne]
I’m sitting at my desk on a normal team meeting call and somebody shared some flashing and moving images and moving patterns.
[Man]
A Zoom gallery of faces.
[Joanne]
The image came on the screen, and I knew straight away I was in trouble.
Because it is so quick that you’ve got no time to avert anything.
[Man]
Close-up of Joanne’s eyes behind the lens of her glasses.
[Joanne]
My husband noticed that my head was beginning to move, and he saw the seizure signs and fortunately he was able to move me out of the way very quickly, but it absolutely floored me.
[Man]
Dan Simpson, Global Head of United Collaboration, HSBC.
[Text on screen]
Dan Simpson
Global Head of United Collaboration
HSBC
[Dan]
I mean, first and foremost, we took it really seriously.
So, the first thing we did was have a discussion with the Digital Accessibility team to learn more about it.
[Man]
Dan Simpson emerges from an elevator.
[Dan]
But we acted quickly on our side to flag it to Zoom as soon as we heard about the issue and we’ve been working really closely with them as a priority.
[Man]
A screen meeting with a colleague from Zoom.
[Man]
Alex Mooc, Head of Accessibility, Zoom
Alex Mooc
Head of Accessibility
Zoom
[Alex]
And so we had to look at it from the Zoom side and what we can do as a communications platform.
We felt like we really needed to take immediate action when it came to epilepsy and the cause of epilepsy around flashing imagery,
[Man]
Images of brain scans display on the screen.
[Alex]
what it did from a brainwave perspective to cause seizures.
This research was incredibly helpful in guiding us to develop an algorithm that would detect the thresholds in which what was harmful and what was not harmful.
The way it works is that to the end user, it’s a simple checkbox that they will enable in their Zoom accessibility settings.
[Man]
Options to dim screen share video and screen reader alerts.
[Alex]
And once that’s enabled the Zoom application will essentially be on the lookout for whenever someone shares content that may contain flashing imagery or any visual patterns.
And once that occurs, the Zoom application will dim the screen of the end user to safe levels until the harmful content is no longer perceivable.
I’m very grateful that HSBC was able to bring this to the table,
[Man]
Joanne Austin at her laptop in her workspace interacts with a Zoom gallery of colleagues.
[Alex]
and in doing this, I feel like this will benefit users around the world and potentially save their lives.
Accessibility benefits everyone.
[Dan]
I think it’s been a massive achievement for HSBC.
We’re really proud of the feature that we’ve developed alongside Zoom and the impact it will have on people's lives.
[Joanne]
The Digital Accessibility team in HSBC are amazing.
I’m really proud that the bank took this so seriously.
[Man]
A meeting of the Digital Accessibility team.
[Joanne]
I’ve got the freedom now to develop my career in any way that I want to.
I don’t have to worry about using Zoom.
[Man]
Joanne Austin walks her spaniel across a park.
[Joanne]
There are 65 million people around the world with epilepsy and to see us making such a huge impact in this space is really, really heartening.
[Man]
The dog presses his face into the camera.
HSBC, opening up a world of opportunity.
[Text on screen]
HSBC | Opening up a world of opportunity
© HSBC Group 2026
Boosting Zoom
When our colleague Joanne was exposed to seizure-inducing material in a video call, we worked with the platform to prevent it happening again.
Digital Accessibility: Chong Chan Yau
Duration: 00:02:10
Speakers:
-
Chong Chan-yau
HSBC Client
LinkedIn (opens in new window)
[Chong]
I hear trams, pedestrians rushing by.
Always busy.
This is a vibrant city that I love.
My name is Chong Chan-yau.
I was born and educated in Hong Kong.
[Text on screen]
Chong Chan-yau
HSBC Client
[Chong]
Good morning, everyone.
Let’s update each other on our work progress.
I am on the board or I am a CEO of five organisations in areas of disability rights, diversity and inclusion and sustainability.
I have been a HSBC account user for 50 years.
Hi Charmaine, how are you?
How is California?
[Charmaine – Chong’s daughter]
Hi Dad, everything is good.
I’m at a baseball game actually.
[Chong]
My daughter is in the United States, so I opened a HSBC US account.
I access HSBC services one way or the other on a daily basis through voice output, braille displays and other assistive technology.
HSBC.com.hk
This is home, investment, support...
All the functions on this app.
HSBC has introduced accessibility standards to designing its products and services.
[Screen reader]
HSBC HK.
Log on screen.
Selected. FPS transfer button.
[Chong]
I have tried other banks and I do believe that HSBC provides me with the most convenience in terms of technology.
I’m smelling the sea, hearing boats passing by.
The breeze and the sun is really wonderful.
This is a place where we encourage people to explore new frontiers.
I’m looking forward to an era where we have more opportunities than before.
[Text on screen]
HSBC | Opening up a world of opportunity
© HSBC Group 2026
Talking accessibility
Chong Chan-yau, an HSBC customer of over 50 years, discusses the tools and technology that make us his bank of choice.
Sharing our expertise
We want to blaze a trail for others to follow and – ultimately – raise accessibility standards for everyone, everywhere.
Try our training
Thousands of people from outside HSBC have benefitted from our digital accessibility training – and its impact has been recognised with numerous awards.
Head to our hub
Explore a number of inspiring journeys, including that of two-time Paralympics medallist and wheelchair badminton athlete Daniel Chan.
Making a difference
Keny’s enhancing our banking apps – and our three apprentices are championing digital accessibility.
Transforming our products and services
We’re making everyday banking simpler and more inclusive for disabled, neurodivergent and elderly customers.
Changemakers: Digital Accessibility
Duration: 00:03:55
Speakers:
-
Malintha Fernando
Group Head of Digital Experience and Accessibility, HSBC
LinkedIn (opens in new window)
[Woman]
A man walks towards the modern HSBC office building.
[Malintha]
When I founded the bank’s digital accessibility programme about eight years ago, if you were disabled, many of the simplest things that you would expect to do through a bank online were not possible.
I’m a technologist and my ambition is to make HSBC the world’s most digitally accessible bank.
[Woman]
Changemakers
Digital Accessibility
[Woman]
Malintha Fernando
Head of Digital Experience and Accessibility
[Malintha]
The first thing we needed to do was drive awareness of what digital accessibility was and change the culture of HSBC.
[Woman]
He greets a man with a white cane.
[Malintha]
One of the simple things that we started doing was bringing disabled customers into the bank so they can interact with our people who create digital products and services.
[Woman]
People with disabilities chat with HSBC teams in a room.
[Malintha]
So, they’re able to take that knowledge and go back and change how it is they do their jobs and how it is their departments or their teams cater for the needs of disabled users.
[Woman]
Adi Latif, Accessibility Consultant, is guided down a corridor.
[Text on screen]
[Adi]
When you have a disability, you’re not given extra hours in the day to live.
Adi Latif
Accessibility Consultant
[Adi]
But unfortunately, we end up spending 30 or 40% longer trying to do a task because an app or a website is not accessible.
[Woman]
Adi demonstrating a website that is not accessible.
[Adi]
As I move my screen reader to the button, it’s not announced as a menu button.
[Screen reader]
‘link, number’
link, carrot, dash, down’
[Adi]
So that just said “link, carrot, dash, down”
It doesn’t mean anything to me.
[Woman]
Adi and Malintha sitting together.
[Malintha]
Not being digitally accessible means that we’re leaving out a fifth of society.
[Woman]
Staff walk towards the HSBC University lecture hall.
[Malintha]
This year alone, we’ve had 15,000 people attending over 50 digital accessibility awareness events.
[Woman]
Tech demonstrations taking place.
[Malintha]
We’ve trained over 2,500 people in job-specific training courses.
[Woman]
Staff listen to a talk in a lecture hall.
[Malintha]
We have a course for every type of digital professional, whether you’re a developer, a designer, a tester, a product manager.
Accessibility has grown beyond governance.
It is part of the DNA of how it is we design and launch products.
[Woman]
A woman is guided through the hall.
[Malintha]
The most recent launch of our new online banking and mobile app saw over 50 disabled and neurodiverse customers come in and test our products.
[Woman]
People testing accessible VR headsets and smartphones.
[Malintha]
We’re using innovation to help deliver accessibility faster.
The Hong Kong Easy Invest stocks and shares app…
[Woman]
Smartphone with a stocks portfolio on screen.
[Malintha]
…if you are blind, you can simply run your finger over a dynamic graph and it will tell you through pitch either high or low how a stock is doing.
[Woman]
Trams run through the city of Hong Kong.
[Malintha]
In Asia, Latin America and the Middle East we are market leaders in digital accessibility.
But what we’re really striving for over the next 18 to 24 months is going from good accessibility to a great experience.
We’re replicating the success of our customer-facing programme to change all our internal systems.
[Woman]
HSBC colleagues using computers.
[Malintha]
We are launching an entirely new accessible staff website, and it’s been tested by our disabled staff.
I want HSBC to be the bank of choice for disabled customers…
[Screen reader]
‘Link activated on your card’
[Malintha]
…and to be the employer of choice for disabled employees.
[Woman]
Malintha stands in a lobby and smiles.
HSBC: Opening up a world of opportunity
© HSBC Group 2026
Banking without barriers
Malintha Fernando, Global Head of Digital Experience and Accessibility at HSBC, spells out his mission.
Alzheimer’s Society
We teamed up with the charity to design bank cards that cater for a variety of needs, including dementia.
Forbes recognition
We’ve been included on the global media company’s Accessibility 200 list for the first time, for our work to make banking more inclusive.
Content last updated: 21 July 2026