Inclusive banking for people with hearing impairment

• CaixaBank becomes the first bank to launch a sign language video interpretation service in its branches

Óscar Gómez lives in Madrid and has a hearing disability. In his day-to-day life, he faces multiple challenges and encounters communication barriers. From ordering a cup of coffee the way he likes, to carrying out important procedures, such as financial operations at his bank, a lack of understanding and fluency in communication is a constant occurrence.  I face, above all, communication barriers: there is a lack of understanding and fluency when it comes to being able to express ourselves on both sides, explains Óscar. To solve this, whenever you need to go to your bank in person, you need to be accompanied by a family member or friend who can help you communicate with your bank manager. This is a genuine loss of privacy and intimacy, he acknowledged.

Aware of this situation, CaixaBank has taken a step forward in its commitment to accessibility and financial inclusion and has become the first bank in Spain to implement a sign language video interpretation service in its branches.

The SVisual service is aimed at people with hearing impairment and aims to remove communication barriers, improve transparency and ensure that all customers can fully access the financial services offered by the bank.

A pioneering service for more accessible banking

SVisual enables customers with hearing impairments to communicate fluently through a real-time video-interpretation system, in which an interpreter specialising in sign language translates through a screen. This system, in addition to being free, ensures that conversations are clear and error-free. Now, Óscar no longer has communication barriers with Daniel Bravo, his banking manager.

This is a service that allows people with hearing impairments to have access to any complex or simple financial services, with totally confidential and independent advice, highlights CaixaBank's director of Strategic Alliances and Social Banking, Immaculada Barra.

Thanks to this new service we gain autonomy and freedom to be able to manage our finances independently

Óscar Gómez - CaixaBank' customer

Currently, the service is in a pilot phase in 120 branches distributed throughout all of Spain’s autonomous communities, with a very positive reception.

CaixaBank plans to extend it to all its branches during the first quarter of 2025. The way to request it is very simple: the customer needs only to send an email to their manager or request it via the CaixaBankNow mobile app

A tool created to break down barriers

SVisual is a solution developed in collaboration with the CNSE Foundation, a non-profit organisation working to eliminate communication barriers for people with hearing impairments.

With this new service, CaixaBank consolidates its commitment as a pioneering company in accessibility and inclusion. This commitment is translated into specific actions that open doors to people with different needs. Since 2022, the bank implements innovative solutions such as banking cards with braille code, a pioneering service in Spain, facilitating the autonomy of people with visual disabilities.

 

It is a service that allows people with hearing disabilities to access any financial service with completely confidential and autonomous advice

Inmaculada Barra - Director of Strategic Alliances and Social Banking at CaixaBank

Progress does not stop there. We have adapted all ATM operations so that people with disabilities can access them with total autonomy, explains the director of Strategic Alliances and Social Banking at CaixaBank. ATMs, which now feature voice-guided options, simplified menus and optimised screen contrasts, have redefined the standard for inclusive interaction.

In the digital field, the CaixaBankNow app integrates voice browsing and size and contrast adjustments that respond to the needs of people with low levels of vision. The bank's web portal is also the only one in Spain that has the AA level of accessibility in accordance with the international w3c guidelines, and the TPV now includes an accessible function for visually impaired people. All of this reflects the bank's commitment to accessibility and financial inclusion, concludes Barra.

A physical network without barriers

CaixaBank branches are also an example of this transformation. Currently, 86% of them are adapted to guarantee universal accessibility, with facilities that include ramps and lifts that eliminate architectural obstacles. In parallel, 99% of its ATMs offer inclusive tools, such as braille keyboards and voice navigation systems.

This effort responds to a comprehensive strategic vision that seeks not only to meet standards, but to exceed them, ensuring that all people, including Oscar, can interact with their bank in a comfortable and secure manner.