Santander Bank Polska expands barrier-free branch network
Santander Bank Polska has opened another flagship barrier-free branch. The branch is located in Warsaw and equipped with, among other things, tactile paths, a typhlographic plan and interactive markers. These will make the bank more accessible to people with special needs.
Every year, on 15 October, we celebrate the White Cane Safety Day which draws attention to the needs of visually impaired people. According to the Central Statistical Office (CSO), there are more than 1.8 million visually impaired people in Poland, of whom about 100,000 are completely blind. Santander Bank Polska has for several years been introducing technological solutions that make it easier for people with various needs to use its offer. It also undertakes many initiatives thanks to which other barriers, such as architectural ones, are removed.
One such project is the barrier-free branch network. The bank designs its branches in such a way as to make them easily accessible to all customers.
Among these are the so-called flagship branches. They are additionally equipped with tactile paths, a typhlographic map (a plan of the branch with reliefs reflecting objects in the area and descriptions in Braille) and the TOTUPOINT navigation and information system, among other things. These solutions facilitate spatial orientation and increase the safety of visually impaired persons. Such branches are now in operation in Gorzów Wielkopolski, Wrocław, Bolesławiec and Kłodzko.
And recently the fifth one has been launched in Warsaw. It has been designed in accordance with the architectural accessibility standard and in close cooperation with experts working for the benefit of people with disabilities. The bank plans to create more barrier-free branches.
All branches of Santander Bank Polska have rules in place dedicated to the service of customers with various needs, including those with disabilities. In each branch, customers can use a priority service desk. All branches also have signing frames and mini magnifiers for the visually impaired and for senior citizens.
Since 2018, the bank has been adapting the interior design of its branches to the needs of customers with visual impairments. Important areas in the branches (such as cash desks) are marked with backlighting and contrasting signage in glass. Inclusivity at Santander Bank Polska is also reflected in 'talking ATMs’ with the function of switching the screen to high-contrast mode or turning it off (marked in Braille). The bank was also the first in Poland to implement payment cards which, thanks to a notch on the shorter edge, make it easier to insert them correctly in an ATM or terminal.
Additionally, the bank allows users to log in to mobile banking applications using Face ID and Touch ID, and in the Contact Centre, identification by voice biometrics is possible over the phone.
