ANZ first Australian bank with cards for vision impaired

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Peter Terlato
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New accessible features include bigger fonts and redesigned edges.

One of Australia's big four banks, ANZ, has become the first Australian financial institution to design bank cards which better assist vision-impaired customers.

ANZ Access cards have been created using a larger font, tactile indicators and high visibility leading edges, to help customers more easily identify the type of card they're using and determine the correct way to insert them at ATMs and EFTPOS machines.

While some ATMs in Australia have headphone jacks to help communicate instructions to those with limited vision, this doesn't help customers to work out which way to insert their card.

The bank's decision to develop the new cards was supported by Vision Australia. ANZ ran focus groups with individuals who had different levels of vision impairment to test the effectiveness of the new accessible features.

All new and replacement cards will include these features, while maintaining contactless technology, allowing ANZ customers to tap and pay when making purchases.

Earlier this year, the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) introduced a new $5 note into circulation. The currency features two tiny bumps indicating a denominational value, added to assist the vision-impaired.

The features were included after 15-year-old North Richmond local Connor McLeod attracted 57,000 signatures of support on a petition he started with his mother on change.org.

The RBA plans to issue all new bank notes with similar tactile markings, starting with the $10 note, to be released early next year.

In Australia, around 360,000 people are blind or have low vision.

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