Ajman Bank and Mastercard team up on card for the visually impaired in UAE
Mastercard Touch launches in UAE. Source: Mastercard
UAE-based Ajman Bank has become the world’s first card issuer to roll out a Mastercard Touch Card, which has distinctive notches on the side to help visually impaired customers identify it.
This payment solution addresses the issue that many visually impaired and partially sighted people face – determining which of their bank cards they hold. Mastercard acknowledges the problem has worsened lately as more card issuers move to flat designs without embossed names and numbers.
According to the latest data from the World Health Organization, there are currently 284 million people in the world who are visually impaired, and 39 million people are blind. Besides, globally, at least 2.2 billion people have sight problems like near or distance vision impairment.
The Touch Card feature creates an accessible system of payment card distinction. Unique, tactile notches are rounded for debit, squared for credit and triangular for prepaid cards. Therefore, any person with severe visual impairment or blindness can identify their cards with just a touch.
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