BNP Paribas Fortis is the first company in Belgium to carry off the ‘Disability Matters Europe’ award. ‘Disability Matters’ is an international conference and awards programme devised by US-based Springboard Consulting LLC to honour companies that show exemplary performance in making their services and/or workspaces accessible to people living with a disability. BNP Paribas Fortis has been selected to receive the ‘Europe Marketplace Award 2016', which will be handed over at a ceremony in Paris on 23 June.
Springboard Consulting CEO Nadine Vogel underlined: “There is a general belief that individuals with disabilities do not work, own homes, drive cars, all of which require banking services, let alone accessible services. The fact that BNP Paribas Fortis has not only recognised that these individuals need banking services like anyone else, but has acknowledged them as important customers, illustrates smart business. Taking it a step further; making accessibility part of the ‘5 Key DNA drivers of the bank’ shows that BNP Paribas Fortis is a true leader in this space and in their industry. Springboard is proud to be honouring the bank with the 2016 Disability Matters Europe Marketplace Award."
Commented BNP Paribas Fortis CEO Max Jadot: “As the main bank in Belgium, we want to be easily accessible for all of our 3.6 million clients. We are very proud of this endeavour, which is part of our mission.”
Some 15% of the Belgian population are living with some sort of physical disability. This includes persons with for example limited mobility, speaking, hearing or visual impairments, or a disabling disease. In addition, there are some 1.4 million Belgians who may not strictly fall into the category of ‘persons with a disability’ but nevertheless suffer from poor vision or are hard of hearing.
iIn 2011 BNP Paribas Fortis embarked on a drive to improve the accessibility of its branches. This year 185 of our branches, i.e. 20% of the total number, received the ‘Fully Accessible’ label from the reduced mobility research and consultancy body Plain-Pied (www.plain-pied.com). Moreover, in 2014 we set up a Customer Service programme entitled ‘Our Bank – for people with a disability as well’, headed by Mr. Pascal De Groote, who is blind. From the very outset, emphasis was placed on improving the overall autonomy of customers living with all kinds of physical impairments, so that they do not need to call on the assistance of staff or other customers. This programme can already boast the following successes:
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For the convenience of customers with reduced mobility, 185 of our branches can now be accessed using an inclined plane and are provided with a lower reception counter, automatic or semi-automatic doors, sufficient space, convenient parking spots, and so on.
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For customers with impaired fine motoric skills, BNP Paribas Fortis has developed special card-readers with extra-large buttons and screen for PC-banking, which can be ordered free of charge and will be delivered within the week.
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All BNP Paribas Fortis ATMs, some 2,000 in total, are equipped with voice guidance systems designed for blind or visually impaired customers, which require the use of a headset. Customers can also request a card-reader with audio function for PC banking and Easy banking. These have also been equipped with a screen reading function for blind persons. Last but not least, the Bank will on request send out account statements in braille.
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Customers with speech impairment wishing to have a meeting with their branch advisor can log in via the Bank’s free WiFi network to an app which provides remote sign-language interpreting.
All these efforts help to increase Customer Satisfaction, not only among the people directly targeted by the measures and their carers but also among other customers of the Bank. Improving accessibility at a branch, which makes it more convenient for parents with children’s pushchairs, elderly customers, and others, usually leads to greater use of the premises by everyone.
Earlier this year one of Belgium’s leading consumer protection organisations named BNP Paribas Fortis as the most accessible bank in the country for people with reduced mobility and visual or auditory impairment. In a comparative study, the organisation underlined the importance of removing, as far as possible, obstacles which prevent people with disabilities from living daily life to the full. The report pointed out that a number of banks in Belgium are now making greater efforts to render their services more accessible and achieving pleasing results in this area.
RECOGNITION DUE ALSO TO OTHERS
BNP Paribas Fortis wishes to underline that the results achieved in this sphere are also due to the efforts of staff, some of whom are themselves living with a disability, and to input from organisations that represent the interests of people with various kinds of disabilities. The Bank’s main partners in this initiative were Anysurfer and Plain-Pied. BNP Paribas Fortis would also like to express thanks to Ahosa, Altéo, Fevlado (Federatie van Vlaamse Doven en Slechthorenden),FOD Financiën, Inclusie Vlaanderen vzw, Brailleliga, Passe Muraille, L’ Association Socialiste de la Personne Handicapée, Blindenzorg Licht en Liefde, Fédération Francophone des Sourds de Belgique, Fondation I See, KVG- Groep, Les Amis Des Aveugles, Alzheimerliga, ONA, Passe le message à ton voisin, Slechtzienden en Blindenplatform Vlaanderen – SBPV, Tolbo, Université Libre de Belgique, Unia and Vlaamse Ouderenraad for their contributions.
SHARING KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE
BNP Paribas Fortis sees this latest award as an encouragement to share its experience in this field, and also to learn from the experiences of others – both within and outside the financial sector. The Bank will be making specific efforts to do so from now on via a public site: www.bnpparibasfortis.com/disabilitymatters.