Bupa Improves Accessibility for its 45 Million Customers
Bupa, the UK’s largest medical insurer and private healthcare company, is transforming the way it approaches accessibility across its digital platforms that serve around 45 million customers.
Partnering with Nexer Digital, Bupa has committed to delivering inclusive digital services and meeting the requirements of the European Accessibility Act, set to take effect in 2025.
Bupa initially engaged Nexer to conduct an accessibility audit, focusing on the search function of its website.
The audit process, which covered 36 key website pages, evaluated compliance with the WCAG 2.2 guidelines, revealing 418 areas for improvement ranging from form labels and mobile functionality to colour contrast.
This led to the development and implementation of multi-disciplinary accessibility training programmes for Bupa’s staff, ranging from online workshops to in-person sessions and targeted role-based training.
Bupa is aiming to provide a more accessible digital experience for customers
The training culminated in a pop-up accessibility lab with executive team participation, embedding accessibility knowledge and raising awareness across the entire organisation.
Shaun Gomm, Commercial Director at Nexer Digital, said: “By empowering Bupa’s teams with the tools and knowledge they need, we’re laying the groundwork for a more accessible and inclusive digital experience for its customers.”
Continuing, Shaun added: “The initiative has garnered support at the highest levels of Bupa, with increased executive buy-in and sustained commitment to accessibility efforts.
“By embedding accessibility awareness across multi-disciplinary teams, the collaboration aims to ensure ongoing progress and prioritises the diverse needs of Bupa’s user base.”
The partnership will help to provide valuable insights
Nexer Digital (formerly Sigma) is a human-centred research, design and development agency which creates products and services that enhance people’s lives and work.
With a focus on digital inclusion and social impact, Nexer works with companies in the public, private and not-for-profit sectors, both nationally and internationally.
The team believes strongly in developing long-term, mutually beneficial strategic partnerships with its customers, with key clients including, NHS England, Astra Zeneca and the Department for Education.
Richard Cohen, Head of Digital Propositions at Bupa, said: “The biggest learning is that without advocacy and education, there is little awareness across our teams of the problems that need to be solved.”
By working with Nexer we have now managed to give accessibility a seat at the Executive table.
The partnership between Bupa and Nexer then extended to inclusive usability testing across a range of digital services, providing valuable insights into enhancing user experience.
With the support of Bupa’s user research team, areas for improvement were identified, empowering Bupa’s team with the expertise to conduct future usability tests independently.
