the thing that really gets me is that if you ask any bank for your pin number in braille they say “oh no because someone would have to read it” but as I point out to them someone is going to have to read it anyway as I can’t see it but they don’t seem to get it. From: goshawk on horseback Sent: Tuesday, March 03, 2015 8:47 AM To: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: [access-uk] Re: Accessible bank card just my personal point of view, but I think it would have been a far better idea to work out ways around what is almost certainly the hardest and most frustrating thing with bank or credit cards, that of accessing the details needed to actually use the card, such as card number, start and expirey dates, and back security number, rather than prannying around with all these fancy ideas that don't really do a lot to improve usability. Simon ----- Original Message ----- From: Barry Hill To: angie.matthews@xxxxxxx Sent: Tuesday, March 03, 2015 8:01 AM Subject: [access-uk] Accessible bank card RBS and NatWest launch accessible cards for partially sighted and blind customers 19 February 2015 In the UK alone there are over 2 million people living with sight loss making lots of everyday tasks, including banking, difficult and frustrating. Following feedback from a partially sighted customer, RBS and NatWest have introduced a new accessible debit card. rnib card The new debit and savings cards feature braille, a notch to help identify the card and a large print phone number. RBS and NatWest are now launching new accessible debit and savings cards which have been specifically designed for blind and partially sighted customers. To address some of the common problems that blind and partially sighted customers face, the cards will: feature braille markings to identify which card is savings and which card is debit have a notch cut out on the right hand side of the card to help customers insert their card into ATMs and PIN pads correctly show telephone numbers where they will be most clear have large font on the back of the card to make the phone numbers easier to read RBS and NatWests new cards can initially help their 15,000 customers registered as blind or partially sighted. All other features of the card remain the same this card can be used in ATMs, at point of sale and for Contactless transactions home or abroad. The cards can be ordered in all RBS and NatWest branches, online or through telephone banking and will be issued within 48 hours. This is the first banking product designed especially for blind and partially sighted people. RBS has worked closely with the Royal National Institute of the Blind in the development of this card and in recognition of this work the new debit and savings cards will be the first banking products to be awarded the new national quality assurance mark RNIB approved. Ross McEwan, CEO of RBS, said: We want to be recognised as a bank that listens to its customers and responds to their issues. Its really important to me that we make banking as simple and easy as possible for all of our customers and our accessible cards are another step towards us earning back the trust of the public. Steve Tyler, Head of Solutions, Strategy and Planning at RNIB said, "We are delighted to have worked with RBS on making savings and debit cards more accessible. The very basic requirement of identifying the right card and quickly determining which way the card slots in to a machine or payment system has been solved by this development. Simple as it is, creating a card with tactile indicators that identify the card type as well as the way in which it should be used, is an engineering challenge, particularly to ensure that it doesn't disrupt machinery. We look forward to working with RBS in to the future and enhancing even more of the daily payment challenges that blind and partially sighted customers experience." Disclaimer This information is for media use only and is not a financial promotion ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software. www.avast.com