(Image: Richard Walker)
A new scheme is making banking more accessible for people with communication difficulties.
Yorkshire Building Society, which has branches in York, Malton, Northallerton and Richmond, has joined the Speak Easy initiative, a banking industry programme designed to support people who may find it difficult to communicate.
Speak Easy uses communication cards featuring common banking requests and clear images to help customers express their needs to branch staff.
Simone Fox, director of customer support at Yorkshire Building Society, said: "Everyone deserves to feel confident when accessing their finances.
"Joining the Speak Easy scheme is another step in helping us create a welcoming and inclusive experience for our customers."
The cards were developed by Nationwide and Visa with input from people with lived experience of communication challenges.
These include stroke survivors, deaf individuals, people with learning disabilities and neurodivergent individuals.
The cards are now available across Yorkshire Building Society’s branch network.
Ms Fox added: "The cards provide a simple but effective way for people who may find verbal communication difficult to tell us what support they need, helping our colleagues better understand and assist them."
The Speak Easy cards cover everyday banking requests, such as checking account balances, updating details, reporting lost or stolen cards, and requesting additional support.