2023 Digital Accessibility Index
Insurance
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INSURANCE
Accessibility barriers can make getting coverage a total loss
For people with disabilities, keyboard and form accessibility barriers can make it difficult to compare plans, request a quote, or even look up coverage rates for their address. Often, the path of least resistance is to reach out to customer support — although several of our community members noted that pushing them into a phone queue should not be mistaken as an accessibility strategy.
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“Every kind of insurance I’ve ever had, I have to reach out by phone or email because the process of signing up or updating my personal information is wildly inaccessible.”
— Lia Stone | AudioEye A11iance Member & QA Tester
EXPERT AUDITS
Breaking down the most significant barriers on the top insurance sites
After reviewing the top insurance sites, our expert testers noted that keyboard accessibility issues could prevent screen reader users from taking key actions on the site, such as looking up coverage maps, searching for agents, or logging into their account.
On average, our testers found another 7 accessibility barriers across the pages tested, which included policy pages, FAQs, and agent profiles — including four consistent barriers that impacted their ability to create or manage accounts.
1. Screen reader users were unable to interact with coverage maps
Our experts noted that interactive maps on several pages had limited accessibility, with screen reader users unable to zoom in or out, gain basic street information, or understand what the map was highlighting.
WCAG Criteria: 1.1.1: Non-Tex Content
Disabilities Affected: Visual
2. Screen reader users were unable to get in touch with agents
Our experts encountered multiple “Find an Agent” buttons that directed them to a new page without any agent information. This made it difficult to connect with prospective agents or get a quote.
WCAG Criteria: 4.1.2:(opens in a new tab) Name, Role, Value(opens in a new tab)
Disabilities Affected: Visual, Mobility
3. Vague link descriptions made site navigation a challenge
Our experts encountered multiple links that were simply labeled “Go,” which made site navigation a difficult task and forced them to spend time clicking on links to see if they would be taken to the right page.
WCAG Criteria: 4.1.2:(opens in a new tab) Name, Role, Value(opens in a new tab)
Disabilities Affected: Visual, Cognitive
4. Broken buttons stopped keyboard-only users in their tracks
Our experts noted multiple instances where they were unable to log into their account using a keyboard alone. Clicking the log-in button did not trigger any kind of announcement or focus change for screen reader users.
WCAG Criteria: 4.1.2:(opens in a new tab) Name, Role, Value(opens in a new tab)
Disabilities Affected: Visual, Cognitive
“It can be really stressful having to call support. You never know what kind of service you’re going to get. Sometimes they’re super helpful, and other times you have to hang up and hope for someone better.”
— Marche Roberson | AudioEye A11iance Member
AUTOMATED SCAN RESULTS
Most common issues, retail sites
Our automated scan revealed that retail sites have an above-average rate of multiple accessibility issues, including some (like image accessibility) that are a key part of shopping online.
Studies show that 75% of online shoppers rely on product photos to help them make a purchase decision, yet retail sites had one of the highest rates of inaccessible images across all industries.
Retailers also struggle with things like button and link accessibility, which can make it difficult for customers to navigate between pages, add items to cart, and more.
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73% of pages on insurance sites had at least one image with missing or inadequate alt text.
Without descriptive alt text on images and other graphics, people with visual and cognitive impairments can struggle to understand what each one is supposed to illustrate.
WCAG Criteria: 1.1.1:(opens in a new tab) Non-Text Content(opens in a new tab)
Disabilities Affected: Visual, Cognitive
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39% of insurance pages with a form had at least one field that was not labeled.
Without descriptive field labels, it can be difficult for people with visual and cognitive impairments to request a quote or update their account information.
WCAG Criteria: 3.3.2:(opens in a new tab) Labels or Instructions(opens in a new tab)
Disabilities Affected: Visual, Cognitive
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37% of pages on insurance sites were missing frame titles.
Missing frame titles can make it difficult for screen reader users to find content or orient themselves within a page.
WCAG Criteria: 2.2.4:(opens in a new tab) Link Purpose(opens in a new tab)
Disabilities Affected: Visual
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