The specialists of the Centre of successful people have set a goal to teach people with visual impairments to use mobile Internet banking within the project “Learning to manage finances by ourselves”. The given mini-project advocating the topic of life-long learning for people with physical restrictions is part of the project “Learn to Act” financed by the European Union and co-financed by DVV International. Being blind themselves, managers of the initiative decided to demonstrate the capacities of modern adaptive technologies and teach others to use mobile banking applications blindly and thereby bring more personal freedom and independence in the lives of people with major sight impairments. To achieve the goal, it was decided to start with monitoring the accessibility of mobile banking applications belonging to the banks that are most popular among the blind people in Belarus, and attract these banking and financial institutions to tackle the problem.
On June 18, the representatives of the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection, National Bank of the Republic of Belarus, commercial banks, Lending and Financial Institution ”ERIP”, territorial centers of social services, and Association of Visually Disabled People took part in the round table organized within the framework of the project. The meeting resulted in an agreement on cooperation reflected in the final resolution, and a schedule for holding training seminars in the capital and all regional centers.
Thus, the first training program for blind people in the field of banking technologies in Belarus was launched. It is planned to hold 8 seminars. The first one was held in Minsk on July 26-28, 2018. Throughout three days, the participants were taught how to install and configure banking applications by a blind trainer, specialist on adaptive computer technologies of the Centre of successful people, Alexander Severin. The participants also got acquainted with the basics of security when making payments in the virtual banking space, worked with ERIP system and learned to manage accounts and deposits.
The world of mobile Internet banking has yet to be introduced to people with vision impairments in regional centers. Apart from that, everyone can get online consultations in the Centre of successful people regarding the use of mobile banking application without visual control. In addition, all project participants will receive adapted training materials: an audio file and a manual printed in Braille.
According to head of the project Mikhail Antonenko everything that seemed impossible for blind people before can become reality now. You just need to want to live in a new way discovering new opportunities for yourself and expanding the boundaries of personal freedom.
Those wishing to participate in the educational seminars, as well as receive distance consultations, please, contact the Center for Successful People at +375 17 203 07 09, +375 29 739 25 14 (Alexandr Severin), +375 29 625 38 12 (Marina Pankratova).
13.08.2018
