Barclays rolls out talking ATMs
Our 'Make money talk' campaign, launched in September 2011, showed that getting money out of a hole-in-the-wall cash machine is a big problem for those who can't see the screen. We found that the majority of blind or partially sighted people who wanted to access their own money needed to ask a friend or relative for help using the ATM (or in some cases a passer-by) or go into their branch during working hours.
Our campaign highlighted the problem and Barclays, who were the first major bank to sign up to our campaign, recently announced that it has fulfilled its commitment to make more than 75 per cent of its ATMs "talk".
This means that blind and partially sighted people can take along their earphones and plug them into one of more than 3,000 Barclays speech-enabled ATMs, to access their money.
Barclays customer Rosemary Thorndycraft, who is registered blind told us: "I'm thrilled that blind and partially sighted people can now access ATMs independently. It's definitely going to improve my quality of life and make me more independent."
Fazilet Hadi, RNIB Group Director of Inclusive Society, said: "We are delighted Barclays has kept its promise and rolled out speech-enabled ATMs, benefiting thousands of people with sight loss. We believe banks in the UK should provide ATMs with audio facilities for their blind and partially sighted customers, across their ATM networks, and now call for other banks to follow Barclays' example."
More information about Talking ATMs
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Supporter receptions
We hold events for our supporters across the UK to give our supporters the opportunity to find out more about our work and the people we help.
One particularly enjoyable event was held last July at Turner Contemporary, an art gallery on Margate's seafront. Attendees enjoyed a morning of talks and lunch in this lovely location, hearing about the range of services and support we provide. There were also demonstrations of the latest products available to help blind and partially sighted people lead independent lives.
"Excellent, very informative and a great insight into your work. It gave me a sense of joy about people needing your help, which could be anyone at any time. Thank you. Your staff are wonderful."
Mrs Jones, who attended our Margate reception
Our receptions are a fantastic way to meet other supporters like you, who are committed to ending the isolation faced by people with sight loss.
To find out more about supporter receptions, email us at legacyservices@rnib.org.uk or call us on 0845 600 0313 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm).
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