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nCino Celebrates Major Milestone in Accessibility Journey

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key points
  • As technology advances, it is essential for organizations, and especially financial institutions, to make sure their digital assets are accessible to people of all abilities.

  • At nCino, we are committed to ensuring that our software is accessible to all users, and in conformance with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines.

  • As nCino continues to grow, we will remain focused on ensuring that our user interface is inclusive and accessible.

nCino is committed to making its software accessible to all users, including those with disabilities. This is essential because it ensures that everyone has equal access to financial services. nCino has achieved WCAG 2.1 AA Certification for accessibility with its Customer Portaland is committed to continuing to ensure nCino is accessible to users of all abilities.

At nCino, one of our core values is “Do the Right Thing.” That means having software that is inclusive to all users, regardless of abilities.

We are passionate about inclusivity in all lines of our business, whether that be our employees behind the scenes coding our software or our customers on the front end applying for loans.

As technology continues to evolve, it’s more important than ever for businesses, especially financial institutions, to ensure that their digital properties, such as website and mobile apps, are accessible to all customers, including those with disabilities. That’s where Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) come in. WCAG conformance is crucial for FIs, as it ensures their digital properties are designed and developed in a way that enables people with disabilities to access and use them more effectively.

“nCino continues to prioritize a focus and commitment on accessibility because frankly it’s just the right thing to do,” says Danielle LeRay, a Product Manager on our Design Systems team.

“For us, it’s more than just making sure code is accessible, it’s also looking at the user experience holistically to ensure that we’re building a product where accessibility is an intentional part of our design. It’s incredibly rewarding to work on software that provides an equal experience for all individuals regardless of any limitations or disabilities they may have.”

Accessibility is particularly important in banking software because FIs’ services are essential for both individuals and businesses to manage their finances, access credit and make transactions. Without appropriate access to these services, individuals with disabilities may face significant barriers in managing their finances and participating in the economy.

As of our Spring Release 2023, we are excited to report we have achieved WCAG 2.1 AA Certification for accessibility with our Customer Portal. This is the first major milestone in our journey to accessibility, and we’re committed to continuing to ensure nCino is accessible to users of all abilities.

What our users love about our interface:

  • Clean setup without flashing messages: reduces discomfort, disorientation, focus difficulty, or even triggered neurological conditions sometimes caused by blinking content

  • Consistent and predictable navigation bar: allows users relying on assistive technologies such as screen readers or voice recognition software to have a more efficient experience

  • Easy to fill out forms: reduces challenges posed by complex forms for people with visual or cognitive disabilities

  • Efficiently labeled fields: allows for a clean voiceover experience

  • Ability to read uploaded documents: allows users with visual disabilities to experience content auditorily

  • Simple interface without “busy” appearance: reduces visual clutter for users with sensory processing issues and provides better experience for users with visual impairments who may have difficulty distinguishing between different types of content

Many countries have laws and regulations in place that require organizations, including FIs, to ensure that their digital properties are accessible to people with disabilities. Failing to comply with these regulations can result in legal and financial penalties, as well as reputational damage for the bank. WCAG isn’t just a legal requirement, though—it’s also an ethical imperative. We at nCino have a responsibility to ensure equal access to all customers.

By conforming to WCAG standards, we demonstrate our commitment to accessibility and inclusivity. As we continue to grow, we will continue to focus on our goal of total accessibility across the nCino platform.

“Just like nCino’s multi-level building needs an elevator to access its other floors, users of assistive technologies should easily be able to use our software,” says Kinsley Sigmund, Design Systems Software Engineer. “Digital accessibility should be given equal consideration as physical accessibility, but unfortunately, it is often overlooked or ignored entirely. A website or application may appear impressive and fully functional to the average user, but those who rely on assistive technologies may struggle to navigate."

"That’s why awareness and education around the topic of accessibility are so important to us here at nCino—understanding the positive impact of accessibility naturally creates passion to do the right thing.”