RBS and NatWest launch first ever accessible debit and savings cards for partially sighted and blind customers

A press release:

• New cards have tactile markings to identify the card, a notch to show what direction to insert the card into an ATM and large print phone number on reverse • The new cards are the first banking product to be accredited by The Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) and are the first cards to be designed specifically for blind and partially sighted customers • RNIB estimate that almost two million people in the UK are living with sight loss
In the UK alone there are over 2 million people living with sight loss making lots of everyday tasks, including banking, difficult and frustrating. A year ago, one of our partially sighted customers asked us what we were going to do to make banking easier for our blind and partially sighted customers. Today we are proud to announce the launch of our new accessible debit and savings cards which have been specifically designed for blind and partially sighted customers.
Addressing some of the common problems that blind and partially sighted customers face, the cards feature tactile markings to identify which card is debit and which card is savings. They also 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. The reverse of the card has also been adapted with the needs of partially sighted customers in mind. The telephone numbers have been placed where no embossing will be on the front of the card and the font has been increased by more than 50% to make it easier to read.

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.
Ross McEwan, CEO of RBS, said: “We want to be recognised as a bank that listens to its customers and responds to their issues. It’s 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 trust.”
This is the first banking product designed specially for blind and partially sighted people. RBS has worked closely with the RNIB 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’.
Steve Tyler, Head of Solutions, Strategy and Planning at RNIB said, “We are delighted to have worked with RBS on making debit and savings 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.”

http://personal.natwest.com/personal/current-accounts/accessible-debit-card.html
http://personal.rbs.co.uk/personal/current-accounts/accessible-debit-card.html