Payments giant, Mastercard, have introduced payment card with unique notches – Touch Card – to assist visually impaired people distinguish between a credit, debit or prepaid card.
Matercard states that there are over 2.2 billion people around the world that have visual impairments and this new accessible card is a way of extending its commitment to include blind and partially sighted people in the world of payments.
This innovative card is addressing this challenge of the movement of cards to flat designs without embossed name and numbers.
According to Raja Rajamannar, chief marketing and communications officer in a press statement, “The Touch Card will provide a greater sense of security, inclusivity and independence to the 2.2 billion people around the world with visual impairments.“ “For the visually impaired, identifying their payment cards is a real struggle. This tactile solution allows consumers to correctly orient the card and know which payment card they are using,” he added.
The new Touch Card credit cards have a round notch; debit cards have a broad squarish notch; and prepaid cards have a triangular notch. The standard has been designed to work with point-of-sale terminals and ATMs, ensuring it can be deployed at scale.
Co-designed by IDEMIA, a world leader in Augmented Identity, the concept has been vetted and endorsed by The Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) in the U.K. and VISIONS/Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired in the U.S.
“As the banking industry responds to new trends and developments, it’s critical that any innovation brings progress for everyone, including those with a visual impairment,” says David Clarke, RNIB’s director of services. “We’re very pleased that Mastercard understands how important it is that blind and partially sighted people have equal and independent access to their own finances.“
“Innovation should always be driven by the impulse to include,” adds Rajamannar, who is also the company’s Healthcare president. “With one in seven people experiencing some form of disability, designing these products with accessibility in mind gives them equal opportunity to benefit from the ease and security of a digital world. No one should be left behind.”
Mastercard has been embedding its signature melody at checkout counters worldwide, a signal to everyone – the sight impaired in particular – that their card transaction has gone through successfully.
