We’re sharing our accessibility expertise
Being digitally accessible is about more than having a competitive advantage. It’s the right thing to do – and that’s why we want to help other organisations become more accessible, too.
We’re committed to sharing our knowledge – in 2024 and 2025 nearly 250,000 people, including both HSBC colleagues and external participants – benefitted from our expertise via visits to the HSBC Accessibility Hub or through our Train 1000 programme.
As part of this programme, we’ve provided training to nearly 200 organisations across almost 100 countries.
In 2026, we’re continuing our offering to people outside of HSBC, giving them a chance to take part in the training that was initially developed for our own employees.
“The HSBC training was brilliant – covering not just why it’s important to design for accessibility, but also going into the detail of how you actually do it,” says James Thurman, a Senior UX Designer at Groupon, who joined our sessions for designers, alongside some of his colleagues.
“It was great that there were sessions tailored to different roles. We came away with lots of new knowledge.”
The courses – delivered in person and over Zoom – teach people how to ensure their websites, apps and digital products can be used by everyone, especially those with disabilities.
Mali Fernando, Group Head of Digital Experience and Accessibility at HSBC, says: “As part of our aim to be the world’s most digitally accessible bank, we want to blaze a trail that others can follow.
We came away with lots of new knowledge
“Accessibility should be for everyone. We’re doing what we can to leave the world a more accessible place than we found it.”
We have role-specific, instructor-led courses for every type of digital professional, including developers, designers and content authors, and we’re offering the spaces free of charge.
We welcome applications from teams from organisations of any size, anywhere in the world. To find out about our upcoming sessions and register your interest in joining, email group.digital.experience.accessibility@hsbc.com
Award-winning platform and programmes
In addition to our instructor-led programme, we have self-directed courses that our employees can explore online whenever suits them.
We also have our Accessibility Hub(opens in new window) (opens in new window) (opens in new window) – an e-learning platform that aims to help people put accessibility at the heart of digital design.
Originally developed as a resource for our own employees, the hub is now available to people outside HSBC, too.
It highlights the digital accessibility challenges that disabled people can face, through gamified simulations and the fictional story of Rachel, who has multiple sclerosis, and her journey into online dating.
The platform has previously won the Best Digital Accessibility award at the Digital Impact Awards, and the Disability Smart Learning and Development award from the Business Disability Forum.
It also won a top prize at the International Association for Universal Design awards, where judges called it “a remarkable example of an inclusive staff-training programme”.
In 2025 alone, we received 15 awards from various organisations worldwide, recognising our efforts to improve accessibility for colleagues and our customers, such as through HSBC mobile applications and public websites.
Among this recognition was a Disability Inclusion Award at the Pay 360 Awards (opens in new window) in London.
“The panel was impressed with the progress we’ve made – work that’s helping our disabled staff and our customers thrive in their daily lives,” said Mali.
“The award also recognises our efforts to improve accessibility for so many beyond HSBC, through our Train 1000 initiative.”
Eleven of those awards were received in the 2024-2025 Digital Accessibility Recognition Scheme, which is backed by Hong Kong's Digital Policy Office.