Sberbank has trained its employees to serve customers who are blind or have low vision with guide dogs, according to a bank press release.
Employees have received specialized training to proper interaction with people visiting bank branches accompanied by guide dogs. The initiative was launched as a bank project to create a barrier-free environment in tis branches.
According to the Russian Government’s current legislation, a blind person accompanied by a guide dog has the right to freely visit any public places: shops, theaters, pharmacies, banks.
Unfortunately, in practice, the situations are very different. A blind person may not be allowed into a store or taxi, denying the service. Such cases most often occur since people are not sufficiently informed. Thanks to specially designed videos and a booklet, Sberbank employees mastered the rules for communicating with the blind, which allows them to prove themselves professionally to a particular client.
“It is important that each client in the bank branch felt comfortable and safe. In addition, we would like to form the right attitude in society towards blind people who are helped by guide dogs. Cooperation with the center “Disabled Dogs Helper” will allow us to improve the user experience of blind people visiting the bank accompanied by guide dogs. Our clients will be helped in this by more than 12,000 consultants in the offices of Sberbank who have been trained under the Center program.” said Alexandra Altukhova, Director of the Special Solutions Division of Sberbank.
