New bank cards to assist vision impaired
Banking for the vision impaired has been made a little easier with the introduction of a new wave of debit and credit cards.
The ANZ bank in collaboration with Vision Australia have recently launched the designs which include enhanced accessibility features.
Vision Australia General Manager Advocacy and Engagement Karen Knight welcomes the new line of cards and believes more improvements is still to be done.
“There is always ongoing work to be done to ensure the Australian banking system is accessible for everyone,” she says.
“Vision Australia continues to advocate for best practice accessibility in the banking sector to reduce barriers to accessible banking services.”
The bank cards now have tactile indicators, larger fonts and high visibility leading edges to help customers easily identify which way to insert their card into ATM and EFTPOS terminals.
ANZ Senior Manager Everyday Banking Steve Price says it was really important to develop products that all their customers can use conveniently.
“We have a commitment to inclusive design and accessibility standards in all aspects of our product development, so the extension of these features to a further 3.4 million cards is a significant part of delivering on that.” Mr Price says.
The rollout follows ANZ’s development of the accessibility features that were first introduced to its Access cards in October 2016.
New cards also work with all of ANZ’s mobile payment options, including Apple Pay, Android Pay, Samsung Pay and Fitbit Pay.
Mrs Knight says Vision Australia are ready to work alongside any banking institution that would like to improve the experience of customers who are blind or have low vision.
“Banking is such an essential part of daily life but despite the rapid developments in technology, it hasn’t always made for accessible banking products and services,” she expresses.
“We believe the only way this can be achieved is through constant consultation and a permanent forum for discussions to take place between the banks and the disability and accessibility sectors.”