Category: Daily Living
Hello zone community,
I have been googling "banks that offer accessible ATM cards", without any real helpful results. I was hoping that as a community we could compile a list of banks, both US and abroad that offer braille banking cards. As of now, the only US bank that I know of that offers braille on their cards is WellsFargo. Are they really the only bank in the US that offers such a vital accessibility feature to their visually impaired customers? Being able to read your own bank card number and cv code without having to write it down in a secondary location such as your phone is something I would like to see all banks adopt. Or else, I think that banks should offer to email you your bank card information when you receive a new card so that if you should lose your card, or it should simply expire you are not having to depend on a friend/relative to initially get you that information that you will need to make future purchases.
Thanks for any comments or advice the rest of the zone community might have on this topic.
I think bank of America does.
This is a wonderful idea. I entirely agree that this list should exist. I will give
this tip though, if you use apps like sEingAI, or KNFB reader, you don't always
have to use a friend or a relative. Its not perfect, but there's no winning without
the braille in this situation.
I have Bank of America and as far as I know they don't. Unless it is a new thing.
I know some banks were offering them, but maybe stopped due to the lack of interest.
I know for myself, I have come across many ATM machines with braille on them, but it falls sort due to the screen not being accessible.
The braille card I would only be handy when I first receive it. After that, I've got the info, so don't need it unless I'm shopping online anymore.
I only shop online, or apply any credit information when I'm connected to a secure connection, mainly at home.
Otherwise, it works fine, or in some places, my phone does.
I've found I really don't have to use ATM machines anymore, and think them sort of a security risk for myself or other blind persons alone, so I avoid them.
They’ve all got service fees too, so getting money for a store is cheaper. No fee.
Many stores will give you cash back if you purchase something, and supermarkets will allow you to just get cash.
I might be wrong, but call your bank and request your card be brailed. I remember when it was being done, it was a matter of a request and an extra waiting time.
well those machines with braille on them, look for a headphone jack. 9 times out of 10, if it has braille, it talks too.
You could use a braille labeler to put the info directly on your cards.
I've done this before and it works fine.
The cards will even fit in to the machines and such.
You do need it read first though, but it is directly on the card after that.
An example.
https://www.maxiaids.com/reizen-rl-350-braille-labeler
I've also seen a device that allows you to braille right on the card. No sticky tape.
If you had a brailler, I think that is what you use.
I've put out an email to a couple places to see if I wasn't dreaming.
A friend of mine used one, so I'll ask him too.
Just wish there was a way to hide what you're doing when you gotta punch in your pin number.
There is. Lean over the screen so your hands are hidden. If you're really concerned, cover one hand with the other.
The thing is, your PIN number is worthless if you don't have the physical card. What you should be more worried about is the card number, and the 3 digits on the back and ExP date.
With that information or enough of it, you don't need the card at all.
Hello @Imprecator,
In regards to your concern about being spied on while at the ATM, recently while using a Wells Fargo ATM with headphones, I was given the option to hide the screen which then only provided audio output. I do not know if other ATM's offer this feature, but once again, it seems WellsFargo has taken the needs and concerns of its blind customers in to account and for that I am greatful for the extra level of independence and confidence this provides me.
@Silver Lightning, thank you for the Seeing AI suggestion. In the past I could never get OCR programs such as OpenBook for example, to read the numbers printed on credit/debit cards, and I assumed that Seeing AI would function the same way.
@forereel, my initial concern was the process of getting the new number from a newly issued card. Not all of us have friends or family members that we can trust with the sensitive information of our credit/debitcard numbers. Hence my wanting to have a card be accessible to me the blind bank customer from the get-go.
You don't trust. You go to your bank, sit with a teller, and bring your braille or whatever you copy with.
Or if you have confidential information like that you can have the personal banker call up your answering machine or voice mail at home and read it there. Then you can braille it out at your leisure. Or get one of those cheap digital recorders and have the information recorded by a personal banker right there.
@forereel, and @Bea, I don't believe that with all the technology in place, it is asking too much from banks to make bank card information accessible to all. How fair is it to make someone travel to a bank utilizing either public transport (which costs time if nothing else), or money (for whatever means of ride share you might have to use), simply to have a few numbers read out to you? Why could the bank not either braille the number on the card itself, or include the numbers in braille on a card they could include in the envelope when they mail the card out to you?
Also, with most if not all banks now offering online banking services, why could they not also include the bank card information in your bank email, which you can only access after securely logging on to the bank site itself?
This is all to say, there are less time consuming and invasive ways that all banks could allow their blind customers to access bank card information independently, and yet many don't.
Perhaps it is because there are not enough of us asking for this bit of consideration, and maybe we should start.
Thanks
But, remember. It was available simply for the asking.
Has anyone here simply asked the bank they use?
As for credit cards, Discover also has this available upon request. Don't know about any other credit card companies. But no, this is not unreasonable to ask of banks. The more people speak up I would imagine the likelier that more banks will provide this accommodation.
I agree. It is a really simple thing to have done by the bank, but if we don't request it, they'll not know the service is neededor desired.
Okay, I finally got around to making inquiries about this today. I called one very major company and another one much more regional.
The regional one said it would be impossible because the braille would interfere with the card readability since it would stick out, which is really hilarious considering most credit cards are already embossed and in such a way that doesn't interfere.
The bigger corp just said it wasn't possible at this time, is there anything else we can do for you? so I asked if they would be able to contact me to relay the information that was inaccessible to me and I was told a flat no on that one.
Naw. Smile. Try contacting the American Printing House For The Blind.
I know it was being done, but how or who I still haven't learned.
I have even seen it.
Starbucks prints there name on there Starbucks cards right now if you desire.
These I've given as gifts, so it can be and is done.