By; OLIVIA NNOROM
United Bank for Africa (UBA) has launched the UBA Braille Account Opening Form, a first of its kind in the Nigerian and African market, designed specifically to cater to the financial needs of the visually impaired.
The new UBA Braille Account Opening Form was launched in Lagos recently, in an event that had in attendance key executive members of the bank and guests including Multi-Award Winner; Cobhams Asuquo, visually impaired Nigerian Musician, Producer, and Songwriter; Dare Dairo, general manager, Lagos State Office for Disability Affairs (LASODA); Adenike Oyetunde-Lawal, former senior special assistant to the Lagos State Governor on Persons Living with Disability, as well as students from the Pacelli School of the Blind.
While endorsing the laudable initiative, Asuquo, described the Braille account initiative as a show of UBA’s commitment towards providing seamless banking experience tailored towards all-inclusive customer needs.
“Before now, we have always been at the mercy of the reader when we want to do things like open accounts for ourselves, but this account opening form has come to solve the problem of access which has previously been a huge limiting factor for people like me who are blind.” Asuquo said.
According to him, with this initiative, UBA has promoted the ideal of inclusivity and has helped to put back freedom in the hands of the visually impaired while opening them up to the variety of opportunities and options available to them.
Ugo Nwaghodoh, executive director, Finance and Risk Management, UBA, said the bank continues to look for ways to make the physically challenged and others comfortable in their life-long relationship with the financial industry.
“In our quest to drive all-encompassing financial inclusion, we decided to support the visually impaired by developing a Braille Account Opening form and these special customers now have the same opportunities available to our customers.”
“The ultimate benefit is to ensure that everybody has the right to select and choose the kind of account they want to operate, and this account opening form will go a long way to ensure this,” he said.
Also, Dairo expressed his excitement at this initiative, and noted that the bank plans for it to be replicated in the 19 African countries where UBA is present.
Traditionally, visually impaired individuals have faced challenges in accessing baking services due to the lack of specialised resources.
The UBA Braille account opening form is therefore, a significant step towards financial inclusivity, providing accessible and user-friendly banking experience for people with visual impairments.
