DALBAR and T-Base Help Move Accessibility Forward within the Financial Industry

OGDENSBURG, NY and BOSTON, MA, Oct. 11, 2011 /PRNewswire/ - DALBAR, a leading research and consulting firm, and T-Base Communications, North America's alternate format communications leader, announced today they are expanding the Accessibility Criteria from healthcare to financial services. This criteria measures the effectiveness of standard statement design in the areas of braille, large print, and e-delivery, T-Base's core competency. 

Both T-Base and DALBAR share a high level of commitment and understanding of quality statement design. This is the second collaboration of 2011 between T-Base and DALBAR in the United States.  In February, an accessible criteria for EOB's, (Explanation of Benefits), was introduced for the healthcare market.

Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act, (ADA), prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability by public accommodations and requires places of public accommodation and commercial facilities to comply with accessibility. This partnership fully supports this important legislation to ensure unique communication needs of blind, deafblind, and partially sighted clients of North America's leading financial statement providers are well served.

Jeff Potts, CEO of T-Base Communications said in a statement, "The addition of accessibility to the evaluation process in the financial arena provides a broader reach to statement providers, ensuring more organizations are mitigating risk and allowing clients to make meaningful use of products and services, while meeting industry and accessibility compliance."

In the Fall of 2009, T-Base and DALBAR Canada introduced the accessibility criteria to their statement evaluations for financial customers with great interest and impact. Kathleen Whalen, Managing Director, Client Relations & Public Relations/Corporate Communication, at DALBAR stated, "This extension to clients in the US will allow us to offer another dynamic solution, as well as leverage T-Base's extensive knowledge of accessible communications".

T-Base Communications Inc.

The secure processing and production of accessible statements and documents in braille, large print, audio and online with accessible PDF and web testing is T-Base Communication's core business. These services assist government and Fortune 100 companies to meet the diverse information needs of their client base, ensuring that their service delivery is inclusive, accessible, and usable by everyone, including persons with disabilities. www.tbase.com

DALBAR Inc.

DALBAR, Inc. is the financial/healthcare community's leading independent expert for evaluating, auditing and rating business practices, customer performance, product quality and service. Launched in 1976, DALBAR has earned the recognition for consistent and unbiased evaluations of investment companies, registered investment advisers, insurance companies, broker/dealers, retirement plan providers and financial professionals. DALBAR awards are recognized as marks of excellence in the financial/healthcare community.

SOURCE T-Base Communications