Man’s best friend continues to help the visually impaired

The South African Guide-Dogs Association for the Blind, with the support of Absa, is training guide dogs to assist visually impaired customers at ATMs

The partnership between the non-profit organisation (NPO) and Absa will see guide dogs undergo rigorous, dedicated training, aimed at assisting the visually impaired customers at ATMs.

The association hopes to increase safety, and secure ATM usage across the differently-abled communities, a priority for the NPO and the bank.

“Security concerns are a major impediment to ATM usage for the visually-impaired community,” said Vernon Tutton, executive director of the association.

As an organisation, the association aims to enhance the mobility and independence of people with visual, physical or developmental needs.

“The effort to insert an ATM card into the machine, and key in the PIN, can be exhausting, and the act of a service dog retrieving the card, and giving it to them, makes the task less onerous,” said Tutton.

Tshiwela Mhlantla, managing executive: Physical Channels, Retail and Business Bank at Absa, said the bank constantly seeks to make their customers experience more accessible.

“Our latest partnership with the association will have long-term benefits for visually-impaired customers using ATMs, regardless of whom they bank with,” said Mhlantla.

As part of the partnership, Absa, with the support of Metal Techniques and Bytes Technology, has installed a fully functional ATM at the association’s headquarters in Paulshof, Johannesburg.

The ATM will be used to assist with the training of guide dogs.

“Having access to our own ATM will allow us to teach our client and dogs in a relaxed, controlled environment without disturbing others,” said Tutton.

“We can show our clients how to instruct their dogs, and practice as much as they need to.

“Furthermore, the association provides training to Orientation and Mobility Practitioners Services directly to persons who are visually impaired.

The association has nine practitioner students who will also be taught the skills needed to train people with visual impairment on how to use an ATM.

“Once they are working in the community, they can teach these skills to approximately 40 people with visual impairment a year,” said Tutton.

He thanked Absa Retail and Business Bank for their support.

To ensure maximum flexibility and relevance, the nature of training will be enhanced and fine-tuned in line with real-time insights from the initial programmes.

Feedback from customers, and the dogs’ uptake of the training, will be closely monitored to ensure that this is meaningful for both ATM users and their furry friends.

Absa will analyse first-hand customer experiences and feedback to inform ongoing enhancements and functionality on ATMs.

“Making a meaningful contribution to the communities in which we operate, particularly the vulnerable and differently-abled, is of paramount importance,” said Mhlantla.