Before & After: Accessibility-First Redesign of a Fintech App

Tech · 6 min read

An accessibility audit identified multiple issues: insufficient color contrast in key CTA buttons, form fields with no ARIA labels, and an inconsistent focus order that broke keyboard navigation. The app also relied on tiny tap targets and visual-only error indicators, which impacted users with motor and visual impairments.

The redesign prioritized WCAG AA compliance as a baseline and implemented larger touch targets, clear ARIA attributes, and a predictable tab order. Designers rewrote microcopy to be explicit about transaction states and added non-visual cues for errors (e.g., summary banners and aria-live regions). They also introduced a high-contrast theme and tested it with assistive technology users and an internal accessibility panel.

Post-launch analytics showed a 42% reduction in reported accessibility issues, a 15% drop in support tickets from users over 55, and a small but measurable improvement in conversion for users who opted into the high-contrast theme. The team concluded accessibility improvements benefited all users by clarifying state and reducing friction, validating the investment beyond compliance.