The implementation of the 'accessibility by design' philosophy across CrediaBank branches has contributed to removing significant barriers to access and customer service

Description

A Comprehensive Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Strategy

CrediaBank implements a comprehensive Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DE&I) strategy, aiming to make inclusion an everyday experience for both its employees and customers. This approach is grounded in the belief that equitable customer service begins with a workplace that respects diversity, recognizes individual needs, and creates equal opportunities for participation and growth.

An Inclusive Workplace Environment

CrediaBank systematically invests in creating an accessible, equitable, and inclusive workplace where every employee can develop their potential regardless of gender, age, experience, or personal characteristics.

At the same time, the Bank provides accessible facilities at its headquarters, including ramps, elevators, designated parking spaces for persons with disabilities, accessible sanitary facilities, and noise-reduction measures that enhance employees’ day-to-day experience.

This commitment is supported by a clear framework of policies and commitments, including the Human Rights Commitment Statement, the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Policy, and the Group Code of Ethics and Conduct. The effectiveness of this strategy has also been externally recognized, as CrediaBank was among the organizations awarded the Diversity Label by the Ministry of Social Cohesion and Family, achieving a score above both the distinction threshold and the average score of awarded organizations.

A Banking Experience Designed for Everyone

The same philosophy is applied to the customer experience through the transformation of the Bank’s branch network and digital channels.

The New Experience Branches are designed according to the accessibility by design philosophy, ensuring that accessibility is embedded from the outset in the design of the premises, services, and customer experience.

Within this framework:

• Customers with mobility disabilities are served in branches with accessible infrastructure and appropriately designed interior spaces. The replacement of traditional teller counters with fully accessible service points removes physical barriers that previously hindered transactions and strengthens customer autonomy and equal access.

• Customers with hearing disabilities can receive services without an appointment and without the presence of third parties through live sign language interpretation and real-time captioning.

• Customers with visual disabilities are supported through Braille signage, Braille documents, and accessible ATMs equipped with audio guidance.

• Practices and procedures that create dependence on third parties have been eliminated, enhancing privacy, safeguarding banking confidentiality, and strengthening customer autonomy.

• Neurodivergent individuals can be served in environments with reduced sensory stimuli and specially designed arrangements tailored to their needs.

The overall in-branch experience has been comprehensively redesigned to include walk-in service options, clear customer guidance, and a dedicated meet-and-greet role that ensures prompt and discreet response to individual needs.

At the same time, branches operate as spaces of comfort and positive customer experience, offering welcoming waiting areas, family-friendly facilities, and full accommodation for individuals accompanied by assistance dogs, creating an environment that promotes a sense of safety and respect.

Properly trained staff provide all necessary support to individuals within the above groups and contribute to the overall customer experience by fostering an equitable and inclusive banking environment.

Accessibility also extends to the Bank’s digital channels. The dedicated accessibility section of the corporate website, “Accessibility - CrediaBank”, provides centralized information regarding available services and accommodations, while new digital services, Internet Banking, and Mobile Banking solutions are designed in accordance with recognized accessibility standards, ensuring a consistent experience regardless of the channel chosen by the customer.

A Shared Culture of Inclusion

CrediaBank’s employees play a pivotal role in implementing this strategy. Through continuous training on disability awareness, accessibility, inclusive customer service, and unconscious bias recognition, employees acquire the knowledge and skills required to respond to the needs of every individual with professionalism, respect, and empathy.

For CrediaBank, inclusion is not a stand-alone initiative or a collection of individual actions. It is a shared culture that connects its people with its customers and is reflected in the way the Bank operates, designs its services, and serves society. In this way, CrediaBank transforms accessibility and inclusion from an aspiration into an everyday experience for everyone.

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Impact on Society

For Customers

The implementation of the “accessibility by design” philosophy across CrediaBank branches has helped remove significant barriers to access and service delivery:

• Persons with disabilities can access banking services independently, without requiring the presence of third parties.

• The availability of walk-in service eliminates the need for appointments, enhancing flexibility and immediate access to banking services.

• The use of assistive technologies and adapted infrastructure expands the range of available service options.

• The elimination of practices that previously created dependence on third parties strengthens customers’ privacy and dignity.

Already, eight branches operate with the full implementation of accessibility and inclusion principles, while the initiative is being gradually expanded across the entire branch network. By the end of 2026, 40% of the Bank’s branches are expected to be upgraded, with the objective of implementing the model across all 65 branches by 2027.

At the same time, accessibility is being enhanced through the Bank’s digital channels. Through the dedicated accessibility section of the corporate website, “Accessibility - CrediaBank,” customers can access information on the services and facilities available for different accessibility needs, strengthening their autonomy and helping them select the most suitable service channel.

Accessibility principles are also embedded in CrediaBank’s new digital channels. The new corporate website, Internet Banking, and Mobile Banking platforms are being designed in accordance with recognized accessibility standards, with the aim of creating a consistent experience for all users, regardless of disability. In this way, equal access is not limited to physical branches but extends across the entire digital banking experience.

Overall, customers experience a banking journey that does not require them to adapt to the Bank’s processes. Instead, the Bank adapts its services, branches, and digital channels to people’s needs, redefining the way banking services are delivered.

For Employees

The initiative has contributed to the development of a workplace environment that promotes participation, representation, and career advancement for diverse employee groups:

• 41% of management positions are held by women.

• 56% of C-level positions are held by women.

• 23% of leadership roles are occupied by employees aged 55+.

• 15% of management positions are held by employees with caregiving responsibilities.

This approach is supported by accessible infrastructure, the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Policy, the Human Rights Commitment Statement, and continuous investment in developing employees’ skills in inclusion and accessible customer service.

The effectiveness of this strategy has also been externally recognized, as CrediaBank is among the organizations awarded the Diversity Label by the Ministry of Social Cohesion & Family, achieving a score above both the required distinction threshold and the average performance of awarded organizations.

Employees now serve as active ambassadors of the Bank’s culture of inclusion, bringing these principles to life every day through both customer interactions and collaboration with their colleagues.

For Society

At a broader level, the initiative:

• contributes to reducing discrimination within the banking sector;

• strengthens the financial inclusion of individuals who face access barriers;

• promotes a banking service model based on autonomy, equality, and respect;

• provides a best-practice example that can be adopted more widely across the sector; and

• strengthens public trust in organizations through the practical implementation of inclusion principles.

The simultaneous enhancement of the workplace environment, physical branches, and digital channels creates a seamless and integrated inclusion experience, generating tangible benefits in the daily lives of both employees and customers.

Through this approach, CrediaBank transforms inclusion from a commitment into everyday practice, with a clear roadmap for expansion across its entire network.

Initiative Location

The initiative is being implemented across CrediaBank’s nationwide branch network and encompasses both employees and customers. Accessibility interventions are already in place at the New Experience Branches currently in operation and are being progressively expanded throughout the entire network as part of the Bank’s broader branch transformation program.

At the same time, the principles of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion are applied within the Bank’s corporate workplace environment through accessible infrastructure, policies, and practices that promote the equal participation of all employees.

This approach is also being gradually extended to the Bank’s digital channels. The new corporate website, Internet Banking, and Mobile Banking platforms are being designed in accordance with recognized accessibility standards, with the aim of providing a consistent and inclusive experience for all users.

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Working with Organization

CrediaBank collaborates with specialized organizations and institutions with expertise in accessibility, disability inclusion, and neurodiversity, ensuring the effective and credible implementation of its inclusion strategy.

These partnerships contribute to:

• the provision of specialized support services for persons with disabilities during their branch service experience, including interpretation solutions and alternative communication methods;

• the design and evaluation of physical and digital channels in line with accessibility and inclusion principles;

• the development of environments that are welcoming and supportive of neurodivergent individuals through appropriate spatial and operational adaptations;

• the training of employees on disability awareness, accessibility, inclusive communication, and the recognition of unconscious bias.

At the same time, the Bank maintains an ongoing and meaningful dialogue with representatives of persons with disabilities, associations, and community organizations, enabling a deeper understanding of the real needs of the people it serves and supporting the continuous improvement of its services, facilities, and processes. Feedback from stakeholders themselves is a key component in the design of interventions, ensuring that solutions address genuine needs and everyday experiences.

CrediaBank’s commitment to Diversity and Inclusion is further reinforced through its participation in the Diversity Charter and the United Nations Global Compact, aligning its strategy with the internationally recognized Ten Principles relating to human rights, equality, and responsible business conduct.

Through its partnerships with specialized organizations and its continuous engagement with the community, CrediaBank ensures that inclusion is not merely a policy, but an ongoing process of learning, improvement, and adaptation to people’s evolving needs.

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Workers Participation

CrediaBank employees are a key success factor of this initiative, as inclusion is reflected in the Bank’s day-to-day operations and in the relationships among its people. Through a work environment that promotes respect, equality, and diversity, employees actively contribute to shaping a shared culture free from barriers and exclusion.

Within this framework, a training program titled “Inclusive Customer Service & Accessibility” is currently being implemented, with the objective of reaching 100% of branch network employees and equipping them with the knowledge and skills required to serve persons with disabilities effectively. The program is complemented by a year-round continuous support initiative designed to help employees build genuine confidence while enabling the organization to further embed its culture of inclusion. Key elements include a dedicated communication channel with response times of 48 to 72 hours, monthly supervision sessions, a resource library, FAQs, practical guides, and case studies.

To further strengthen teamwork and highlight the value of diversity, Credia Inclusion Lab, the Bank’s new inclusion program, will launch in September. The program is open to all employees and initially focuses on Unit Heads, whose role is critical in maintaining and further strengthening an environment that encourages collaboration, mutual respect, and the full utilization of each team member’s potential. Through the Credia Inclusion Lab, participants will explore practices that foster greater understanding among people with different experiences, ways of thinking, and professional backgrounds, contributing to the development of even more effective teams.

Employees’ contribution extends beyond training, as they actively participate in the continuous improvement of the initiative by sharing experiences, observations, and suggestions arising from their daily work. In this way, practical knowledge gained through experience is leveraged to further strengthen the Bank’s policies, services, and processes.

At the same time, employees are the primary enablers of the accessible customer experience. In their day-to-day interactions with customers, they:

• act as first points of contact (meet & greet), identifying and responding to each customer’s needs;

• make effective use of the available accessibility tools and technologies;

• adapt their communication and service approach in accordance with the needs of each individual; and

• contribute to creating an environment that supports autonomy, dignity, and equal participation.

In this way, employees are not merely recipients of CrediaBank’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion strategy. They are its principal ambassadors, bringing the Bank’s values to life every day, both within the organization and throughout the customer experience.

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Benefits for Οrganization

The initiative significantly strengthens CrediaBank’s strategic position by embedding inclusion into the way the Bank operates and by creating value for customers, employees, and the organization as a whole.

From a customer perspective, the development of accessible physical and digital service channels enhances trust, satisfaction, and the overall customer experience, while broadening access to banking services for individuals who previously faced barriers. The ability to access services independently and on an equal basis contributes to building deeper and longer-lasting customer relationships.

From an operational perspective, the accessibility by design approach enables accessibility to be embedded from the outset in the design of branches, services, and digital channels, reducing the need for fragmented or retrospective interventions. At the same time, it creates a more consistent and reliable service experience across all customer touchpoints.

From a human capital perspective, the initiative strengthens employee engagement, participation, and professional development, supporting the attraction and retention of people with diverse backgrounds, skills, and experiences. Investment in training, combined with the promotion of a culture of respect, equality, and collaboration, enhances organizational resilience as well as the Bank’s capacity to adapt and innovate.

Furthermore, a clear framework of policies and commitments, including the Human Rights Commitment Statement, the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Policy, and the Code of Ethics and Conduct, strengthens corporate governance and alignment with internationally recognized sustainability standards. External recognition through the Diversity Label further validates the consistency and effectiveness of CrediaBank’s approach.

Overall, the initiative supports CrediaBank’s transition toward an operating model that combines business effectiveness with social impact, strengthening the organization’s sustainability, competitiveness, and long-term value creation.