BIW0023
Every day 250 people start to lose their sight | More than two million people have sight loss | 320,000 registered blind or partially sighted | Age-related macular degeneration is the leading cause of blindness in adults. |
There are around 112,000 people living with sight loss in Wales and this number is predicted to double by 2050.
Banks provide an essential service for people needing to manage their finances. They do this through providing important information, allowing people to manage their money and be able to budget. Blind and partially sighted people are facing barriers to accessing these services through increasing local bank branch closures coupled with inaccessible online services and information. Banking services need to consult blind and partially sighted people when designing their services in order to make them accessible.
RNIB research in 2022 found that over half of blind and partially sighted people said they were dissatisfied with their main financial provider/ bank regarding accessibility and money management. This is a missed opportunity by banks given that there are 320,000 people who are registered blind or partially sighted in the UK and many more with permanent or temporary sight loss who are not registered.
RNIB research in 2022 also found that only 44 per cent of blind and partially sighted people could always manage their own money, 34 per cent said they manage it with the help or support of others, and 22 per cent said someone else manages their money. We expect that bank branch closures will exacerbate this already concerning problem, as relying on other people to manage your money reduces financial independence and could leave people vulnerable to financial abuse.
The developing trend of banks closing their high street branches has had a detrimental impact on blind and partially sighted people who rely on face-to-face banking support. Local bank branches are a trustworthy environment for blind and partially sighted people to carry out financial transactions. In addition, local bank branches provide a familiar route and physical environment to learn so that blind and partially sighted people can access banking services independently.
Increased travel distances, traveling to unfamiliar places, paying for costly public transport and taxis, or needing to rely on sighted friends and family members to get to the next nearest bank branch create concerning barriers for blind and partially sighted people to access their own money. In addition, inaccessible and unfamiliar branch environments act as another barrier to them banking in person, for example, not knowing where to queue, being faced with obstacles, and encountering banking staff that do not have sight loss awareness.
A 2022 survey by RNIB found that 41 per cent of blind and partially sighted people said they did not receive accessible information after requesting it from financial service providers, contrary to the provisions of the Equality Act (2010). This leads to blind and partially sighted people having to ask for sighted assistance to access their financial information.
As bank branches are closing people are being directed to online methods of banking. This is problematic as RNIB research in 2021 found that people with sight loss are twice as likely to be digitally excluded than the general public. RNIB also found that 63 per cent of blind and partially sighted people over the age of 75 do not have access to the internet.
Online banking and banking apps are not always accessible or useable to blind and partially sighted people, despite legal requirements under the Equality Act (2010). For example, the introduction of two factor authentication and facial recognition can be challenging for those using assistive technologies.
Blind and partially sighted people find that inaccessible apps and websites prevent them from accessing online options. There are others who do not have the equipment, skills, or confidence to manage their money online, leaving them feeling frustrated and in need of sighted support to manage their money.
The Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) is one of the UK’s leading sight loss charities and the largest community of blind and partially sighted people. We provide a wealth of services including practical and emotional support through our RNIB Connect community and our Sight Loss Advice Service, guide business and public services on accessibility, campaign for change, and have a library of over 60,000 accessible reading materials, including daily newspapers.
Every day 250 people begin to lose their sight. We want society, communities and individuals to see differently about sight loss. In our 150th year RNIB renewed our focus on creating a world where there are no barriers to people with sight loss.
8 May 2024