{"id":570296,"date":"2026-07-27T11:36:13","date_gmt":"2026-07-27T11:36:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/570296\/"},"modified":"2026-07-27T11:36:13","modified_gmt":"2026-07-27T11:36:13","slug":"bank-of-ireland-rolls-out-enhanced-accessibility-services","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/570296\/","title":{"rendered":"Bank of Ireland rolls out enhanced accessibility services"},"content":{"rendered":"

Bank of Ireland has introduced a series of new accessibility measures across its branch network, including neuro-inclusive branch accreditation and communication cards designed to make everyday banking easier for customers with additional support needs.<\/p>\n

The lender <\/a>said 37 branches have now achieved neuro-inclusive accreditation, with a further seven due to complete the programme by the end of the year.<\/p>\n

The initiative will continue into 2027 as the bank upgrades more locations.<\/p>\n

In a separate move, all 168 Bank of Ireland branches across the Republic will now offer new “Speak Easy” communication cards, making it the first bank in Ireland to introduce the initiative nationwide.<\/p>\n

The cards feature simple images, colours and phrases to help customers communicate common banking requests, including checking an account balance, reporting a lost debit card or seeking assistance with online banking.<\/p>\n

The neuro-inclusive accreditation has been awarded by auticon, an autistic-majority IT consultancy and social enterprise.<\/p>\n

The assessment examined branch consistency, accessibility, capability and staff confidence, with employees also receiving specialist neuro-inclusion training to better support neurodivergent customers.<\/p>\n

Bank of Ireland said the measures are aimed at creating calmer, more accessible branch environments while improving communication for customers who may experience difficulties during face-to-face banking.<\/p>\n

Jane Kealy, Director of Group Customer Outcomes at Bank of Ireland, said the latest initiatives formed part of the bank’s wider commitment to accessibility<\/a>.<\/p>\n

“The launch of Speak Easy Cards, alongside our neuroinclusive branch spaces, is another important step in our ambition to be a truly inclusive and accessible bank.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe want every customer to feel supported in managing their financial needs, and initiatives like these can help build confidence and make banking easier for everyone.”<\/p>\n

Alan Durcan, Distribution Director at Bank of Ireland, said the communication cards would help make branches more welcoming and easier to navigate.<\/p>\n

“I am pleased to see the introduction of Speak Easy Cards in all of our 168 branches across the Republic.<\/p>\n

\"BankPictured are (L:R): Claire Murray, Head of Inclusion & Diversity. Bank of Ireland; \u00c1ine McCleary, Group Chief Customer Officer, Bank of Ireland; Alan Durcan, Director Distribution Channels & Branch Network, Bank of Ireland; and Jane Kealy, Director Customer Advocacy & Outcomes, Bank of Ireland. Pic:Naoise Culhane-no fee<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is an important step in making branch banking easier to navigate and more welcoming for customers. <\/p>\n

“From how a branch environment feels, to how customers communicate with us, thoughtful design and simple tools can make a real difference.”<\/p>\n

The latest accessibility measures build on a range of existing supports already available to Bank of Ireland customers, including ATMs with high-contrast screens and audio guidance, SignVideo services for customers who use sign language, access to the Irish Text Relay Service, participation in the JAM Card and Hidden Disabilities Sunflower schemes, and banking information available in Braille, large print and audio formats.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Bank of Ireland has introduced a series of new accessibility measures across its branch network, including neuro-inclusive branch…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":570297,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[61,60,43],"class_list":["post-570296","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-ireland","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/570296","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=570296"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/570296\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/570297"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=570296"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=570296"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=570296"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}