The accessibility evaluation of mobile banking applications in Türkiye

Digital banking services have become integral to facilitating financial transactions for individuals. However, ensuring that these services are accessible to all segments of society particularly individuals with disabilities is essential to advancing digital inclusion. This thesis aims to evaluate the accessibility levels of mobile banking applications provided by banks operating in Türkiye and to examine the association between these levels and institutional factors such as bank type, asset size, customer base, ownership structure (public or private), and capital origin (domestic or foreign). Within the scope of the study, mobile banking applications from eight banks operating in Türkiye were selected and subjected to systematic accessibility testing. These applications, running on the iOS operating system, were evaluated according to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 at the AA conformance level. Accessibility testing was run using BrowserStack's automated App Accessibility Tool. The accessibility errors identified were analyzed to determine potential correlations between accessibility levels and various bank-specific characteristics and application page types. This thesis identifies key accessibility deficiencies in the mobile applications of banks operating in Türkiye and offers recommendations for aligning mobile banking platforms with established accessibility standards. By highlighting accessibility as a fundamental component of digital financial inclusion, the study contributes to the growing discourse on inclusive digital transformation in the financial sector.