Lukáš Hosnedl, a man born with a visual impairment, has faced significant challenges navigating digital platforms, particularly in internet banking. His recent experience highlights the urgent need for more inclusive web design, ensuring that digital services are accessible to all users, including those with disabilities.

Hosnedl, who relies on a screen reader controlled via keyboard, encountered a frustrating situation where a website’s screen was entirely covered by a window that he couldn’t detect. This incident underscores the lack of accessibility features on many websites, making it impossible for him to complete his tasks independently.

For individuals without disabilities, such issues are less problematic. Jan Tůma, who works with Hosnedl to improve digital services, explains, “For me as a man who sees the screen, that’s all right. The window jumped, I somehow interact, and I ‘see’ it in quotation marks completely differently. And if the sites do not have it technically furnished, the reader simply does not load. There are two completely different worlds,” he describes, emphasizing the stark contrast in user experiences.

Currently, public administration has been the primary focus of accessibility regulations. However, the European Directive will soon expand these obligations to private companies providing public services. This change will affect banks, insurance companies, and transportation operators, ensuring that their digital platforms are accessible to all users.

Hosnedl, who works as an accessibility consultant and translator, has also faced difficulties in e-commerce. He notes, “Buying socks, which takes you three minutes, takes over an hour. Accessibility is not solved and for example I can not simply skip from one window to another, I have to go through the whole site,” highlighting the significant barriers that users with disabilities encounter in everyday online activities.

In Slovakia, statistics show that only 40-45% of websites and applications meet accessibility standards. This means that more than half of the organizations are non-compliant and face potential sanctions. Although similar data for the Czech Republic is not available, the issue is likely prevalent across Europe and the United States.

By June 2025, banks and other companies must meet new requirements for digital content on websites and mobile applications. These changes aim to make digital platforms more user-friendly and accessible not only for individuals with disabilities but also for seniors.

The updated Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) outline three key requirements: contrast, color combinations, proper focusing, and accessible language. These guidelines ensure that digital content is clear and navigable for all users.

Tereza Kaisersotová, a spokesperson for Raiffeisenbank, explains the bank’s approach: “The bank focuses on ensuring a significant contrast of the text, the background and the use of visual warnings instead of the sound. The basic text boxes in the forms are accessible via the keyboard, making it easier to navigate for people with limited mobility. Pages do not contain time-limited functions or fast flashing, which increases the comfort of their use.” She also notes that some legal requirements are written vaguely, making compliance challenging.

WCAG Rules and Compliance

• The European Directive on Accessibility will apply in the Czech Republic starting June 28, 2025. This directive is incorporated into Czech law by Act No. 424/2023 Coll. (Act on Requirements for Accessibility of Certain Products and Services).
• Accessibility applies to all digital channels, including websites, mobile applications, terminals, ATMs, chatbots, and virtual assistants.
• All digital documents (Word, Excel, PDF) available for download must also comply with accessibility standards.
• The Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Czech Republic will monitor compliance, with practical checks conducted by the Digital and Information Agency (DIA).
• Companies that fail to meet accessibility standards will receive a report detailing errors and have six months to rectify them. Non-compliance can result in fines of up to CZK 10 million (approximately $450,000 USD).

Users with different types of disabilities face unique challenges. For example, individuals with motor impairments cannot control websites through a mouse and rely on keyboard controls. However, these controls often fail to navigate to necessary windows, leading to frustration and abandonment of services.

Tůma emphasizes the importance of accessibility, stating, “At the moment when you don’t have the site or the app accessible, you have a big problem. It can be likened, for example, when the sites were not responsive before. Everyone was giggled at the beginning that it was an extra feature that just costs money. But today, if you didn’t have a responsive website, you have no chance at all. We expect this accessibility to become standard.”

Ten Czech banks were surveyed about their preparedness for new accessibility requirements, with six responding. They reported ongoing efforts to improve the accessibility of their digital services, acknowledging the potential for significant fines if they fail to comply.

Filip Hrubý, a spokesperson for Česká spořitelna, states, “We are intensively preparing for the implementation of the directive, although the vast majority of our services and offline and online service sites, including websites and digital banking applications, are already barrier-free and accessible to clients with some form of handicap.” He adds that their services are also friendly to clients with visual disabilities.

Air Bank, which has a long history of focusing on accessibility, notes that they collaborate with external consultants and testers with disabilities to continuously optimize their digital channels. Alžběta Honsová, a spokesperson for Air Bank and Zonky, explains, “In the development of our IT solutions, for example, we work closely with external consultants and testers with health disadvantages. Thanks to their practical experience, we are continuously optimizing the accessibility of individual digital channels.”

Other banks, such as Belief, Unicredit, and mBank, are also preparing for the new rules. Lucie Brunclíková, the director of external relations and communication for Belief, mentioned that the bank has been focusing on digital accessibility, particularly in the introduction of bank identity. Kristýna Dolejšová, a spokesperson for mBank, confirms, “Of course, we count on the upcoming effectiveness of the new legislation. Our digital channels are already largely prepared.”

In addition to digital accessibility, banks are also modernizing their physical branches to better accommodate users with disabilities. Raiffeisenbank reports that 81% of its branches and 10% of its ATMs are accessible to people with mobility impairments. They plan to expand ATMs with Text to Speech functionality this year.

Česká spořitelna also reports a high percentage of barrier-free branches, with 291 branches in 2023, more than two-thirds of which have voice navigation for the blind. The bank emphasizes the principle that almost everything can be solved through digital channels without the need for a physical visit.