CorpComms Magazine

Barclays has joined forces with the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) to promote its campaign to get 'talking ATMs' installed across Britain.

The RNIB's 'Make Money Talk' campaign aims to make it easier for the more than 370,000 registered blind and partially sighted people in the UK to use ATMs by adding audio facilities.

There are currently just 85 'talking' ATMs in the UK, and less than one per cent of cash machines have earphone ports.

Speech output facilities will be distributed to Barclays ATMs which will allow partially sighted and blind people to plug in earphones to listen to the options displayed on the screen, making it easier for them to carry out their transactions. It will give them the opportunity to use the ATMs independently.

Bob Bond, chief UK distribution officer at Barclays, said: 'Our announcement today will mean that blind and partially sighted people will have greater access and choice when using ATMs providing increased independence and privacy. We will be speech enabling our cash machines towards the end of next year and see this as an important part of our financial inclusion commitments.'

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