Digital accessibility at novobanco
Building a framework for inclusive digital experiences
ABOUT THIS SUCCESS STORY
novobanco defined digital accessibility as a strategic priority, creating with Xpand IT an internal framework that integrated standards, responsibilities, and process to ensure inclusive and sustainable digital experiences.
SCOPE OF THIS SOLUTION
- Digital Accessibility
- User Experience
- Strategy and framework
- Team enablement
Challenge: from legal obligation to real implementation
With the publication of Decree-Law No. 82/2022, which transposes the European Accessibility Act into national legislation, digital accessibility became a concrete and unavoidable topic for financial institutions. However, although the Decree-Law introduced the requirement to make digital products accessible, it did not define how this requirement should be operationalized on a day-to-day basis.
This was not a challenge exclusive to novobanco. Within the scope of the Portuguese Banking Association (APB), the sector has been discussing accessibility criteria, costs, and impact across the financial industry. As a result, novobanco faced questions common to the entire sector: where to start; which channels and flows should be prioritized; who is responsible for what; and how different teams contribute to the same objective.
At novobanco, accessibility had already been identified as a relevant concern. Although the institution had carried out an initial assessment with external support, that exercise revealed a clear limitation: identifying issues was not enough. Without an internal framework, a shared language, and clearly defined responsibilities across teams, accessibility would remain fragmented and difficult to operationalize.
Digital accessibility spanned multiple areas (mobile, web, UX/UI, content, marketing, development, QA, and branch teams), but without a clear coordination structure. At the time, there was no internal accessibility framework defining how teams should work together, which standards to follow, how to prioritize non-conformities, or how to embed accessibility into delivery processes.
More than a legal obligation, novobanco recognized accessibility as a strategic challenge requiring alignment across digital channels, teams, and ways of working. It was in this context that the collaboration with Xpand IT began.
From obligation to strategy
Transform accessibility from a legal requirement into an organizational priority.
Cross-functional alignment
Unify teams, channels, and responsibilities under a shared vision.
Framework and operationalization
Creation of an accessibility framework that integrates standards, governance, and delivery processes.
Solution: a practical and shared approach to digital accessibility
Xpand IT worked with novobanco to create a practical, shared approach to accessibility, built around three main pillars:
1. Awareness and contextualization
Before moving into technical solutions, it was essential to ensure that teams understood why digital accessibility matters.
Xpand IT supported novobanco in creating content and sessions focused on:
- Contextualizing accessibility.
- Raising awareness and “evangelizing” teams.
- Aligning a shared language around impact and responsibility.
One key insight was that teams already cared about accessibility, but were often disconnected from its real-world impact on users. Sharing concrete examples helped make the problem tangible. This made it possible to overcome cultural barriers and foster a mindset that promotes accessibility for everyone—not just a limited group within society.
2. Priority flows and channel-based assessment
Once awareness was established, the next step was deciding where to act first. The starting point was the mobile channel, focusing on the most critical customer flows, such as authentication and login, transfers, balances and transactions, and payments and services.
Xpand IT’s UX team began by conducting accessibility assessments, organizing the work into key focus areas and combining automated and manual testing:
- Screen readers and navigation
- Contrast, text, and layout
- Touch and gestures
- Consistency and context.
Each non-conformity was documented with evidence and accompanied by technical correction suggestions. The goal was not only to identify issues, but to make them understandable and actionable for teams. This phase enabled the transition from a generic diagnosis to a clear and concrete view of what needed to be fixed, why, and how.
3. Deliverables, correction, and internal enablement
Deliverables were tailored to different audiences. For stakeholders and decision-makers, Xpand IT produced reports highlighting the impact of non-conformities, KPIs related to business and customer-experience impact, and a phased implementation roadmap.
For development, UX, and product teams, the focus was more technical: detailed, channel-specific reports, clear correction prioritization, hands-on support during the correction phase, and post-correction validation to ensure that identified issues had been properly addressed.
The work extended beyond mobile to include:
- Asset management
- Marketing campaigns
- Bank branchs
- Web areas for personal banking
- Institutional website
- PDF documentation
- Training and documentation to reinforce long-term team autonomy.
Workshops and training sessions were also delivered to novobanco teams, centered on real cases, concrete challenges, and the specific context of each area.
"Accessibility is now a quality standard and not just a regulatory requirement. With the support of Xpand IT, we were able to structure a cross-functional approach, aligning teams and processes to ensure that inclusion becomes part of how we design and evolve our digital experiences."
Fedra Medeiros
Head of Experience Design & Agile, novobanco
Benefits: establishing an internal digital accessibility framework
Internal accessibility framework
novobanco now has a structured approach to accessibility, with clear responsibilities, priorities, and ways of working across teams.
Improved accessibility across key digital flows
Priority flows were corrected in line with the European Accessibility Act and WCAG standards, reducing barriers for users with limitations and improving overall usability.
Stronger cross-team alignment
Accessibility became a shared responsibility. Beyond channel teams, areas such as marketing, digital content, UX/UI, development, and QA are now actively involved.
Cultural and mindset shift
Accessibility is no longer seen as a one-off compliance exercise, but as a quality standard and a long-term investment.
"Accessibility only becomes real when it stops being a one-off exercise and becomes part of the ongoing design, development, and evolution of digital channels. This work with novobanco showed how a clear and shared framework can turn intention into practical action and concrete impact on the customer experience."
Carlos Neves
Head of UX, Xpand IT
Tecnologias utilizadas
About novobanco
Headquarters: Lisbon, Portugal
+1.4 million customers
Objectives
- Focus on simplicity and customer proximity
- Innovation and modernization of financial services
- Commitment to inclusion and digital accessibility
Type of solution
- Definition of a digital accessibility framework
- Assessment and improvement of priority flows
- Alignment of teams and internal processes
- Enablement for continuous accessibility evolution
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