OREANDA-NEWS. Sberbank presented its “Special Bank” project aimed at adapting bank products and services for people with special needs. The project is being carried out in partnership with MasterCard.

In May 2016 a research program started, and based on its results Sberbank and its partners will offer specially developed solutions to people with special needs. Notably, such clients will be able to receive a number of services at home. Another pilot project is he introduction of services of an electronic sign language interpreter, software for interpreting human speech into sign language, at offices of the bank. The project will be launched in the test mode in September.

“The mission of the ‘Special Bank’ project is to provide each person with an opportunity to lead a full and interesting life thanks to Sberbank’s services,” said Vladislav Kreinin, Managing Director at the Sberbank’s Customer Relations Department. “‘Special Bank’ is an ecosystem of products and services for physically impaired clients of the bank, built with careful attention to their life scenarios and needs. We will be designing our services together with the leading experts from non-commercial organizations and our clients.”

“MasterCard has chosen the expansion of access to financial services and the spread of financial literacy as its priorities all over the world and in Russia,” said Galina Ganeeva, Vice-President at MasterCard in Russia. “We are striving to make our technologies and knowledge accessible to Russians, and pay considerable attention to the ‘Special Bank’ project. This is an initiative that requires extensive research. It will help us come up with new solutions and products that will enable all clients to receive modern banking services both in a simple and convenient way.”

Today, 37% of Sberbank’s offices are adapted for the needs of people with special needs. 16,856 Sberbank ATMs are located at a lower level to provide access to wheelchair users, 9,808 are equipped with the Braille alphabet. Visually impaired clients can conduct transactions using facsimile at Sberbank.