How to make it easier

Lily Parker* is a 23-year-old with Down syndrome, and like all young adults she wants to manage her money independently. Lily can use EFTPOS terminals and ATMs, and she has no problem finding her way around the internet. The challenge lies with online banking.

Lily says she has difficulty with the jargon words of internet banking, and she says if banks used visual aids like picture cues it would be easier for people like her to bank online.

The solution can be Easyread, a system of writing that uses a mix of simple words and images.

Kylie Preston, national project manager at Down Syndrome Australia, says providing information and resources in Easyread helps people with an intellectual disability understand information more easily.

“It is one way organisations can be more accessible for people with a disability. Some banks are doing work in this area to make branches and information more accessible.”

She points to the Commonwealth Bank, which now has a number of fact sheets in the Easyread format, and she adds that various Beyond Bank branches have consulted with Down syndrome organisations on branch design and accessibility. When it comes to online banking, though, there is still a way to go to make the service accessible for all customers.