Forbes recognises our digital accessibility impact
We’ve been included on global media company Forbes’ Accessibility 200 list for the first time, in recognition of how we’re making banking more inclusive.
The list names the top 200 global ‘impact-makers’, recognising companies whose products and services are accessible for people with disabilities.
Presented alphabetically, this second annual list was compiled following more than 700 interviews and conversations with industry experts – and with input from an expert advisory board.
We’re the only global bank on the list (opens in new window) (opens in new window) (opens in new window), which includes many high-profile multinational organisations.
Accessibility for all
We were recognised for our digital accessibility programme, which helps to remove barriers and make everyday banking simpler and more inclusive for disabled, neurodivergent and elderly customers, across our digital channels.
The programme also benefits our employees, as it examines the accessibility of our colleague-facing systems.
“This recognition from Forbes reflects the progress we’re making towards our aim to be the world’s most digitally accessible bank – and the work our colleagues, from across HSBC, are doing to make banking more inclusive and give people financial independence,” said Mali Fernando, MBE, our Head of Digital Experience and Accessibility.
“When products and services are designed with inclusion and accessibility in mind, we create a better experience for everyone.
“It also helps us to deliver on our Group ambition to be the most trusted bank globally, putting customers at the heart of everything we do.”
What Forbes said
Alan Schwarz, Forbes Assistant Managing Editor, said that accessibility had evolved “from a legal mandate to a bustling frontier of innovation, impact and profit”.
“It’s now beyond ‘the right thing to do’ – it’s integral to a smart business,” he added.
Forbes recognises our digital accessibility impact
Duration: 2:02
Speakers:
- Malintha Fernando, Group Head of Digital Experience and Accessibility, HSBC
LinkedIn (opens in new window)
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Malintha Fernando, Group Head of Digital Experience and Accessibility, HSBC
[Malintha]
We're absolutely delighted to make it on the Forbes Accessibility list.
This is testament to the Bank's strategy of putting customers at the heart of our business.
Accessibility is a fantastic example of our strategy in action.
If I think about what this means for our individual customers, it means that they have financial independence, the ability to manage their money, but also equally, if you are an employee, you're able to come in, do your job and have a rich and fulfilling career at the bank.
We believe over 9 million customers who are either disabled or neurodivergent, benefit directly from the work that we do.
[Customer]
Open HSBC.
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Screenreader: HSBC Notifications.
[Malintha]
But perhaps more importantly than being the most digitally accessible bank, in many parts of Asia, Latin America and the Middle East, we may be the only digitally accessible bank.
It means that if you have certain disabilities, you may not have a choice except for HSBC.
We are open sourcing our training. We're giving our training away for free, and in the last few years we've trained over 250,000 people in digital accessibility and that includes over 200 companies in over 100 countries.
We're also innovating. We've made available British Sign Language training to all of our colleagues here in the UK.
And some other things that we've done. We've made our cards accessible and we're rolling it out across the world.
We are driving hard on innovation.
Some years ago, we worked with Zoom to build a feature into Zoom that protects people who have epilepsy and have photosensitivity as well.
For us, digital accessibility and making our services accessible is business as usual.
It is about putting customers at the heart of our business.
We also hope to influence and inspire other organisations in the communities and countries that we operate in.
We hope to create, in partnership with other organisations, a digital ecosystem that works for all.
So that actually accessible is just inclusive design by default.
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HSBC | Opening up a world of opportunity
© HSBC Group 2026
Setting the standard for digital accessibility
Forbes recognised us for the measures we’ve introduced to help our customers manage their money on their own terms.
- We support more than nine million disabled and neurodivergent customers in 56 countries
- Our banking website is the most accessible in 11 of the 13 main HSBC markets – and in some regions we’re the only digitally accessible bank
- We’ve made British Sign Language training available to all our colleagues in the UK
- We were the first bank to use AI to deliver sign language for the deaf community in Hong Kong
- Our user research programme is set to expand into new markets, including India, Singapore and UAE
- In the last two years, thousands of people from outside HSBC have benefitted from our training
Visit the Forbes website (opens in new window) (opens in new window) for more information.
HSBC and Digital Accessibility
We’re harnessing the power of technology to provide a great digital experience for everyone, especially people with disabilities and those who are neurodivergent.