Towards Better Communication Accessibility for People Living with Aphasia: Identifying Barriers and Facilitators in Financial Institutions

Approximately one-third of stroke survivors live with aphasia, an acquired communication disorder that significantly impacts their ability to understand, speak, read, or write. This condition often leads to social isolation and a reduced quality of life. Financial institutions, as essential community services, present numerous communication barriers for people living with aphasia. This study aims to identify the barriers and facilitators influencing the communicative accessibility of financial institutions for people living with aphasia and to discuss solutions to optimize accessibility. A qualitative descriptive research design was employed, involving semi-structured interviews with people living with aphasia and questionnaires filled by employees from financial institutions. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis to identify key themes related to barriers and facilitators. People living with aphasia identified thirteen types of barriers and forty facilitators, related to physical environmental factors, conversational attitudes and service systems and policies. Financial institution employees highlighted the need for better training and awareness regarding aphasia. The study underscores the significant barriers people living with aphasia face in financial institutions and the potential facilitators that could enhance communicative accessibility. Implementing targeted training programs and standardizing accessibility policies are crucial steps towards improving service access for people living with aphasia.