Accessibility and additional support
Making our services accessible to all
Every one of our customers is unique. And we understand that each person uses our services in a different way. That’s why we’re here to help you access our services and information in the ways that work best for you.
How we can help
Sometimes we need some extra assistance. You may be living with a disability, going through a bereavement or have a temporary injury. And that’s ok. Explore how you can access our services and interact with us in ways that suits you.
Giving others permission to discuss your policy
As your health changes, there may be times when you can’t manage your account yourself. You can nominate a trusted person to help manage and discuss your policy if it’s ever needed.
How we can help
Contact us via phone, email or live chat for more information about giving another permission to discuss your policy.
Support following the death of someone close to you
Experiencing the death of someone close to you can be a difficult time. You may need to close their account with us, or help to manage their finances.
How we can help
We’ll keep things as simple as possible. When you speak to us we may ask you for more information, such as:
- a copy of their death certificate
- a certified copy of either their will, probate document, letter of administration, court order or lawyer letter
If someone close to you has recently died, you can let us know using our form. We appreciate this may be a sensitive time so we'll remember for future contact.
Money worries
We’re here to support our customers through tough times. And sometimes it can be difficult to make ends meet.
Some money worries or financial concerns could include:
- paying for your health insurance cover
- managing your finances
- money worries affecting your mental or physical health
How we can help
We offer mental health support if your finances are affecting your health. If you’re finding it difficult to pay for your policy, speak to us. We can chat about your situation and help in whatever way we can
Helpful resources
- To learn more about money and how to manage your finances visit MoneyHelper. It's a free service from the Money and Pensions service
- For advice on finances and support, the Money Matters Money Advice Centre can help
Visual impairments
If you have or are experiencing a visual impairment, we can help. Individuals with visual impairments could include those:
- who are blind
- who are partially sighted
- with a medical condition which can affect eyesight. For example, a migraine with aura
- experiencing a temporary injury. For example, a scratch to the eye
- online
- in braille
- in large print
- on an audio CD
How we can help
We can send documents in a format that suits you. You can receive documents either:
Use our form to let us know if you need these formats.
Hearing or speech impairments
If you are deaf or have a hearing or speech impairment, whether it’s temporary or permanent, let us know. Individuals with hearing or speech impairments could include:
- those who are deaf
- those who have a speech disorder. For example, stuttering
- users of British Sign Language (BSL)
- those with a medical condition or injury which can temporarily affect hearing or speech. For example, an ear infection
How we can help
Use our form to let us know how we can tailor our communication to meet your needs.
If you’d prefer, talk to us via our live chat. You can find this on our Contact us page.
If you’d rather contact us via the phone you can also use Relay UK. They have advisers who can relay your message to Bupa colleagues for you. Dial 18001 before a phone number to use this service, or download Relay UK’s app on a smartphone.
Language support and translation services
We understand not all of our customers read or speak the English language. Where possible, we’ll always offer support where we can.
How we can help
We use a service called thebigword. They’ll translate over the phone between you and one of our advisers. To use this service, call 0333 3449 473. We may record or monitor our phone calls.
If you’re using our website, translation tools are available on certain web browsers. For example, right clicking on a webpage from Google Chrome on a desktop computer will show you an option to translate the text.
You can also use our form to tell us if you need language support or translation services.
How we make our website accessible
When we build the pages on our website, we do so with all users in mind. From the structure of the webpage, to the text on it and the colours or images we use. Our website follows the Web Accessibility Initiative Standard (WAI). This is an internationally recognised standard. Wherever possible we aim to follow the WCAG 2.1, Level AA standard.
Write for readability
The text on our site is written so it’s readable for those with low literacy levels, neurological conditions (such as dyslexia) and to reduce the cognitive load on our brains. We aim to write simply and descriptively. In a way that’s easy to understand.
Align our design with WCAG 2.1 standards
Because we follow the WCAG standards that means when we design our website it’s done with accessibility in mind. When we use colours on our site, they’re checked to make sure the contrast levels are right. We also use alt text on our non-descriptive images so users who can’t see them can still understand the content.
Make our site easy to navigate for screen readers
We make sure when our site is being built that headings, links, images for example, are built in a way that screen readers can understand. If you use a screen reader, you can navigate our site using keyboard buttons.
We understand not everyone is able to see our website and communications in the same way. To access the information we provide you can tailor your device settings to help
Increase the text size
Depending on whether you’re accessing our content on our apps or on our website you can change the text size to make it larger or smaller.
- If you’re using our website, change text size through either your device settings or use the zoom function on your web browser
Use zoom functions
If the content on our website is too small or large, you can use the zoom functions on your browser to change it.
- On a desktop computer, use your web browser settings to change the zoom level.
- On a mobile or a tablet, you may be able to pinch the screen using your fingers, or tap twice on the screen to zoom in.
Use a screen reader
If you’d find it useful to have the content read or described to you, you may find a screen reader tool helpful. Different devices have different screen reader tools available. For example, iPhones use a tool called VoiceOver. To find a screen reader that works with your device, use AbilityNet’s guides.
Sometimes we’ll use videos with audio to explain things on our website. If you have a hearing impairment there are a number of support options to access this content.
Download the transcription
We try to accompany all of our videos with a text transcription. You can read this separately to the video, in your own time, at your own pace.
Turn on closed captions
If you’d like to watch the video too, we try to include closed captions on all of our videos. You’ll be able to read the content of the video as it plays.
Increase the volume on your device
Our audio content will be set to a standardised level when it’s created. That doesn’t mean it’ll be the volume that works for you. You can increase the volume on your device to hear the content more loudly.
It can be overwhelming knowing where to start when tailoring a device to your needs. AbilityNet have a collection of guides to help. Choose your operating system or web browser to get started.
Articles to support your health and wellbeing
Find more help and information in our articles.
Financial wellbeing: how to manage money worries
Money worries can impact your mental and physical wellbeing. Explore our advice on how to keep you and your finances in good shape.
How to deal with grief and bereavement
Experiencing bereavement can be a difficult time for many of us. Head of Mental Wellbeing, Naomi Humber, explains how it affects us and how to cope.
How to protect your hearing
As we get older, we all gradually lose our hearing. However, there are preventative measures you can take to protect your hearing. Dr. Samantha Wild talks us through her top tips.
How to contact us about your needs
Request support that suits you, or get in touch if you need us.
Tell us how we can support you
Tell us about your or someone else's support needs and we'll leave a confidential note on your account. We'll remember what you've told us whenever you contact us or we contact you.
Contact us
Whether you’re a new or existing Bupa customer, we’re here to help. Contact us over the phone, via email or through our live chat
