Accessibility in payments: insights from G+D and Microsoft leaders

First things first: why does accessibility matter?

Thomas: Accessibility is a deeply personal and professional passion of mine. I have dedicated 30 years to G+D, with 25 of those years in card and services operations. G+D is a global player in security tech, and one of the top three payment card providers globally. As the Director of Card Issuance Services, I’ve been responsible for our card issuance services portfolio globally, and I oversee our card issuance services portfolio, allowing us to closely address the needs of accessibility.

On a personal level, I have lived with multiple sclerosis for the past 25 years. While my cognitive abilities remain intact, my physical capabilities have gradually diminished, particularly affecting my mobility and senses in the last five years. These experiences have profoundly shaped my perspective and fueled my commitment to incorporating accessibility into our daily operations.

Hector: Access to technology like smartphones is commonplace today. For most consumers, they are portals to the world. That’s why it’s important that technology is designed to be inclusive. There have been huge strides on that front, but what we’re going to see now is every industry being asked to think about how it is delivering on inclusivity.

How have you witnessed the shift in societal awareness toward accessibility, and what have been the biggest drivers behind this change?

Thomas: When discussing accessibility, many point to the aging population as a primary driver. While this demographic shift has indeed heightened awareness, I believe the broader evolution of our society has played a crucial role. As our understanding of inclusivity and equality deepens, accessibility has naturally become a key priority for businesses, governments, and communities alike.

We are witnessing accessibility being integrated into the core of organizational agendas, accompanied by increasing regulations aimed at ensuring equitable access for all. This progress is driven not only by the practical needs of an aging population but also by a growing recognition that everyone, regardless of ability, deserves equal access to services and opportunities. The combination of these factors has significantly propelled the movement toward a more inclusive society.

Hector: I think Thomas is right – it goes beyond the aging population. People born with disabilities are finding their collective voice through organizations and movements. As a result, there is an increasing expectation in society not to exclude people with disabilities. And it’s not just about disability – it’s also about being inclusive in terms of language capability and literacy levels, for example.

How do you make that happen?

Hector: For me, it all starts with the people. It goes back to that voice. The more organizations talk about disability in the workplace, the more it will drive engagement around the issue. When I talk to people with disabilities about starting their accessibility journey, the first thing I say is to start having conversations internally. Ask yourself how you want to engage with each other as people with disabilities. Once you are comfortable with that internal voice, it will act as a springboard to delivering accessible systems that you actually want to deliver, rather than fulfilling a regulatory obligation.

Hector, you spoke at the workshop on behalf of Microsoft. What were your impressions?

Hector: It was fantastic. Representation is so important. I was able to meet with designers and provide advice on how to build various products. The people I spoke with were all so energetic. Everyone has their own reasons for working for the companies they work for, but mission and societal impact are becoming more and more important. It was clear to me that the people at the workshop really cared about delivering on inclusion and having a positive impact on society. Also, from an innovation standpoint, there was a real buzz. It wasn’t about discussing compliance or regulation, but rather sharing innovative ideas to drive more inclusive experiences.

Can you give any examples?

Thomas: We have a catalog of concept cards that generated a lot of interest at the workshop. Especially, sensory cards for people who are neurodiverse and who need to identify cards by smell. They are not a volume product yet, but it’s an example of the innovation we are doing in the payment card space and how deep the level or personalization goes to address different needs with different features. 

Hector: There were a number of different scents, like fresh fruit and grass. I have to say, these cards were pretty interesting in terms of how they provide additional information for impaired people.

It sounds like it! The social and moral motivations are clear, but what is the business case for making payments more accessible?

Thomas: It’s quite simple: if the banks want to maintain their current market position in the payments market, not acting is not an option. It’s about keeping up with the times. At G+D, our business for 170 years has been about security and payments. We too have had to adapt and innovate. If banks want to stay competitive, accessibility cannot be optional.

Hector: At Microsoft, we want to deliver inclusive products. And we’re happy for other organizations to learn from our experiences when it comes to conversations around ROI, and how to balance customer experience versus regulations versus profit, to drive more inclusion. That’s why we’re here. But when it comes to considering ROI, you need to look at things holistically, not on a project level.

There’s a huge opportunity to build your brand by driving more inclusion. If you consider that one in six people have a disability, and half of the people on the planet might be close to or love someone with a disability, that’s a lot of customers who care. Imagine what it would do for your reputation if you showed those customers that you really value their user experience? You cannot underestimate the impact it can have on culture, innovation, and customer experience on a holistic level.

Building on the success of the workshop, what role can G+D play in fostering more cross-industry collaboration in payments?

Thomas: The opportunities are out there, be they with physical technologies or digital. The challenge is integrating them into a working ecosystem that really provides an accessible journey for the end users. Given our expertise in security and payments, we’re in a good position to guide stakeholders on this. Our role as a mediator involves bringing together banks, payment providers, technology companies, and other relevant parties to collaborate on creating inclusive solutions. The positive feedback we received following the workshop reinforced our belief in the importance of this role and strengthened our commitment to facilitating cross-industry collaboration.

Hector: At Microsoft, we have healthy competition with other tech companies, but when it comes to the big challenges, we all come together. G+D has the similar privilege of being involved with many different organizations, which can help drive the change we need. When you can bring stakeholders together in that way and start an exchange about shared experiences, you can start learning best practices and create standards. It’s not about competition, but about collaborating to drive progress.

What advice would you give banks getting started with their accessibility journey?

Thomas: One of the key messages we emphasized at the workshop was to start small and grow step-by-step. It’s important to recognize that you can’t accommodate every level of impairment with a single feature. However, you can begin by developing different products that address specific needs.

By taking incremental steps, banks can gradually build a comprehensive portfolio of accessible solutions. Over time, accessibility will become an inherent feature of every product by design, much like security is today. This approach ensures that accessibility is seamlessly integrated into the development process from the outset, rather than being an afterthought.

My advice to banks is to prioritize understanding the diverse needs of their users. Engage with individuals who have firsthand experience with accessibility challenges and involve them in the design and testing phases. This user-centric approach will help create solutions that are genuinely effective and inclusive.

Hector: If you look around the market, some banks are addressing accessibility through a regulatory lens, others are doing it through a customer service lens. We can discuss the merits of both, but my advice would be to pick whatever works for you to create your own internal justification. Or even learn from both models. One way or another, you will build a greater company mission, and you will deliver greater customer experiences.

Published: 30/07/2024