Source · Select Committees · Women and Equalities Committee
Recommendation 8
8
Accepted
Paragraph: 34
Mandate banks to adopt inclusive design for cards and ATMs, ensuring full accessibility
Recommendation
The Financial Conduct Authority should work with the retail banking sector and organisations such as the RNIB to ensure all banks embrace inclusive design from the outset when innovating or phasing out existing services. We recommend that all banks: • roll out flat bank cards that are accessible to disabled people, and continue to issue embossed cards to customers who request them; • in addition to tactile indicators, ensure that all flat bank cards have a clear visual design, including colour, good contrast and large font size; and • where ATMs are provided, ensure they have been user tested with disabled people, installed in locations accessible to all and are regularly checked to guarantee that accessible features are in working order.
Government Response Summary
The government states that banking services must be accessible and highlights existing legal requirements for reasonable adjustments. It details ongoing work by the financial services industry with RNIB, including features like dot/notch on cards and talking ATMs, but does not commit to the specific new actions recommended for inclusive design or card roll-out.
Paragraph Reference:
34
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
Our reply We know banking and payments services must be accessible for those who are blind and partially sighted. The law says banks and card machine makers must make reasonable adjustments in the way they deliver their services to support people with visual impairments. Reasonable adjustment means they must treat people fairly and change how they do things to help you with your disability. The financial services industry has worked with the Royal National Institute for Blind People to: ● make payment services more accessible ● make payment cards usuable for visually impaired people through dot and notch features ● provide talking ATMs Talking ATMs can be used with headphones and give the customer audio instructions Electronic point-of-sale Payment devices ● write a guide about electronic point- of-sale payment devices for visually impaired individuals ● publish a list of vendors who produce approved devices.