Remote Banking Services for the Visually Impaired in Britain as a Tool for Creating Barrier-Free Environment

[摘要] The paper analyses remote banking services in Britain as far as the visually impaired people’s work with them is concerned. Most of the websites have a minimum level of accessibility for these people, especially the sites of the banks with foreign capital. Large banks with a great number of branches, on the contrary, provide full access to banking services on their websites. The paper discusses the world experience of the banking system in providing the disabled people with an opportunity to actively participate in all spheres of society by creating a barrier-free environment with the introduction of innovative products and electronic means of communication. Apart from the implementation of social protection mechanisms, the benefits obtained by the banks fully compensate for the costs incurred. The information in the paper is of practical interest for experts in sociology of disability, as well as for public organizations helping disabled people.

[学科分类] 分析化学

[关键词] barrier-free environment;sociology of disability;visually impaired people;virtual social environments;access to banking services;social protection