Santander becomes first UK bank to launch talking ATMs

Santander has become the first bank in the UK to launch talking ATMs for customers who are blind or partially sighted.

The ATMs have been launched in association with the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) and the Digital Accessibility Centre and are available in all of the bank’s branches.

Access

The ATMs come with voice assistants and headphones to enable blind or partially sighted customers to carry out their banking activities, with 24-hour access being offered.

The launch comes as part of Santander’s aim to provide support for those with sight problems, with the bank also holding a number of training events and sessions next month to enable them to learn about how to use the ATMs.

The bank has also invested in the RNIB’s virtual reality app, which is a sight loss simulator that will enable staff to gain an understanding of how it feels to be visually impaired and help them to provide better customer support to those with sight loss.

Whilst Santander is the first bank to provide talking ATMs in the UK, other major banks also offer support for visually impaired customers through services such as audio communications and braille.

Solution

Commenting on the service, RNIB Director of Solutions Scott Lynch said that assisting those living with sight loss to stay independent and carry out day-to-day tasks with confidence is at the heart of what the RNIB does.

He added that the talking ATMs provide a practical solution to some of the challenges faced, helping to empower blind and partially sighted people so that they are able to experience the same freedom as everyone else and retain their financial independence.