Business View Magazine | Volume 8, Issue 11

13 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 8, ISSUE 11 MASTERCARD INTRODUCES ACCESSIBLE CARD FOR BLIND AND PARTIALLY SIGHTED PEOPLE M astercard extends its commitment to inclusivity by introducing a new accessible card standard for blind and partially sighted people, called the Touch Card. There are few effective ways for the visually impaired to quickly determine whether they’re holding a credit, debit or prepaid card, particularly as more cards move to flat designs without embossed name and numbers. Mastercard is addressing this challenge with a simple yet effective innovation. “The Touch Card will provide a greater sense of security, inclusivity and independence to the 2.2 billion people around the world with visual impairments,“ says Raja Rajamannar, chief marketing and communications officer. “For the visually impaired, identifying their payment cards is a real struggle. This tactile solution allows consumers to correctly orient the card and know which payment card they are using.” With the new Touch Card, Mastercard has improved upon a current design standard by introducing a system of notches on the side of the card to help consumers use the right card, the right way, by touch alone. The new Touch Card credit cards have a round notch; debit cards have a broad squarish notch; and prepaid cards have a triangular notch. The standard has been OPENING L INES