Nationwide has launched a free accessibility tool called Speak Easy and rolled out communication cards to branches, a move confirmed by the Economic Secretary to the Treasury, Lucy Rigby, as part of the government's Financial Inclusion Strategy. The initiative aims to improve accessibility for people with communication difficulties across seven high street banks.
Banks Participating in the Speak Easy Initiative
The participating brands include Nationwide, Virgin Money, NatWest, Santander, AIB, Bank of Ireland, and Skipton Building Society. The cards and participating organisations can be found on the Signing Banks' Speak Easy website, with plans to update the list as new brands join.
The simple set of cards allows customers to point to information, pictures, questions, or requests when speaking may be difficult. This helps them get the support they need when accessing essential services such as savings, payments, reporting a lost or stolen card, or raising concerns about a suspected fraud or scam.
Government and Industry Support
Lucy Rigby, Labour Party MP and Economic Secretary to the Treasury, said: “Not having adequate access to essential banking services can be debilitating and place people into vulnerable situations. It has been extremely positive to see industry get behind our Financial Inclusion Strategy, which is helping more people access the products, services, and support they need every day.”
She added: “I would like to thank Nationwide for leading this initiative which embodies the ambitions of our Strategy by encouraging the sector to help people access essential services with greater independence and confidence.”
Nationwide and Visa Leaders Comment on the Impact
Kathryn Townsend, Head of Customer Accessibility at Nationwide, said: "Everyone deserves to be able to communicate confidently when they access essential services. By making Speak Easy a shared industry resource, we're helping more organisations provide accessible support and creating a more consistent and inclusive experience for everyone."
Agata Laight, Head of Social Impact & Sustainability, Europe, at Visa, said: "Access to financial services is fundamental to financial wellbeing and economic inclusion. Speak Easy is a practical tool that can make a meaningful difference for people with communication difficulties, helping them access support more easily, independently, and with confidence. Through the Towns Partnership, we're proud to work with Nationwide to make Speak Easy available more widely and support a more inclusive approach across the financial services sector in the UK."
